Ramstad bill would aid children who lack insurance

02/18/2007

BRADY AVERILL
Star Tribune


WASHINGTON - Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., pledged Friday to help make sure all children have health coverage. "We have a moral obligation to cover our kids so that every child in America can grow up healthy," he said.

He announced the Healthy Kids Act, which would give states financial incentives to increase enrollment in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

The Healthy Kids Act would cost about $60 billion over five years. The legislation has bipartisan support and will be introduced in the House in the next few weeks.

Although Minnesota has the lowest rate of uninsured people in the nation, Ramstad said 73,000 children don't have health coverage.