Five states sue over new SCHIP rules

In a lawsuit that could impact efforts to expand eligibility for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in Ohio, five state announced yesterday that they intend to sue over new SCHIP rules imposed by the Bush administration. (Source: "Five states to sue over child health plan," Reuters, Oct. 1, 2007.) As previously mentioned, the intent of the new rules was to return the program to its "original focus on low-income children and to make sure the program did not become a substitute for private health coverage." However, Governor Strickland and other political leaders in Ohio have protested the change, which would prevent the state from expanding SCHIP coverage to include kids from higher income families.