Organize the South

Rep. Gingrey's office sent an email in response to a letter my wife and I sent earlier this week. In our letter we asked a series of questions. Gingrey didn't answer any of them. He also didn't say whether or not he would vote to override the presidential veto. Perhaps we need to send another. Rep. Gingrey's response email is below.

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding the current state of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), or as it is called in the state of Georgia, PeachCare. I appreciate having the benefit of your views and welcome this chance to respond.

Georgia’s PeachCare program provides medical insurance for 270,000 children whose family income is less than 235 percent of the federal poverty level. This is a testament to the strength of the PeachCare program in the state of Georgia and how important it is for Congress to act in order to ensure the program’s solvency.

As a physician for nearly 30 years, I am a strong supporter of the SCHIP program. Sadly, loopholes in the SCHIP program have been exploited in recent years, compromising the mission of the program. For example, many states have filed waivers with the federal government to ask permission to use SCHIP funds to cover new populations for which the program was not intended – including single, childless adults. This practice undermines the financial integrity of SCHIP and takes money away from states like Georgia.

I voted to pass a continuing resolution that will fund the SCHIP Program through November 16 this year. I am also co-sponsoring an 18 month extension bill of the SCHIP bill, H.R. 3584, that will ensure that our nation’s children – including the children in Georgia covered under the PeachCare program – will not go one single day without health insurance.

Rest assured I plan on being a leader in the effort to reauthorize SCHIP. I will advocate for commonsense reforms to strengthen the program and make sure funds will be available to provide healthcare to—first and foremost—the population this program was intended to help: low-income children.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. If you feel that I may be of additional assistance on this, or any other matter of importance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me. You may also contact me via my email at gingrey.ga@mail.house.gov, or log your ideas and opinions on my website: www.house.gov/gingrey.