James Coburn

EDMOND — Health coverage for more than 116,000 Oklahoma children is at risk since the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives failed on Thursday to override President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as SoonerCare in Oklahoma.

SCHIP is a 10-year-old federal funding program for states to independently create health insurance plans for children of low-income families who do not qualify for Medicaid. Payment levels and benefits are designated by each state.

The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate had approved SCHIP legislation, expanding the program to cover more children. The maneuvering followed a 273-156 vote that left supporters 13 short of the needed two-thirds majority. Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla., was the only member of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation to vote for overriding Bush’s veto. Reps. Mary Fallin, Tom Cole, Frank Lucas and John Sullivan, all Oklahoma Republican representatives, voted against the bill.

Fallin’s office was unavailable for comment this morning by press time.

“Child advocates are obviously disappointed,” said Anne Roberts, executive director of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy.

In Oklahoma, one in three uninsured children did not receive any medical care in a year, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Critics said the bill was a step toward socialized medicine, that too many adults benefited and that despite an explicit prohibition, it would allow the children of illegal immigrants to gain coverage.

The legislation contained an increase in tobacco taxes to pay for the expanded health coverage, including a 61-cent increase on the current 39-cent-per-pack cigarette tax.

At a cost of $35 billion during five years, the vetoed measure would have added nearly 4 million uninsured children to the insurance program. It provides coverage for those who are not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, but whose families cannot afford private health care. Children for families with incomes of up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level — about $41,300 for a family of four — would be eligible.

Health care for families costs more today than when the $4.9 billion of SCHIP funding originally was passed by Congress, Roberts said. Traditionally, health insurance in the United States has been provided by employers, but fewer employers today can afford the rise in insurance premiums, Roberts said. The cost of insurance premiums has risen 73 percent while wages have risen only 13 percent since 2000, Roberts said.

Roberts said state lawmakers surpass the U.S. Congress in being in touch with their constituents. The All Kids Act passed this year raised the income eligibility level for families so more children can receive health coverage, she said.

Henry’s office announced in May that, “by increasing Medicaid eligibility for children from 185 percent of the poverty level to 300 percent — the maximum allowed by federal restrictions — the state’s Medicaid program would be able to provide coverage for as many as 42,000 additional children.”

The HOPE Center in Edmond sees many families without health care coverage for their children, said Cheryl Sperry, assistant executive director of the HOPE Center in Edmond. The food and clothing closet for Edmond-area residents offers a health clinic and limited emergency financial assistance for rent and utilities.

“It would be great if the state would provide some way if they won’t increase the SCHIP program to provide some means to provide health care,” Sperry said.

Families without health insurance generally will take their children to emergency rooms after their child’s ailment becomes a crisis, Roberts said. Emergency rooms are the most expensive means of treatment, she said.

“It would be so much cheaper and so much healthier if they could take care of those issues when they are minor in the doctor’s office,” Roberts said.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. announced new legislation would be ready within two weeks. Key lawmakers met within hours to consider changes in the vetoed measure.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS contributed to this report.