Statement on Signing of CHIP Legislation

President Obama signed CHIP legislation at the White House on February 4, 2009. Following is a statement from Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Foundation has been a leading private funder for research, implementation and enrollment around CHIP and other coverage issues.

“The signing of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) this afternoon extends a vital safety net for millions of hard-working parents who either aren’t offered insurance for their kids through their jobs, or can’t afford the coverage that is offered. And it is a critical step in the nation’s drive to ensure that all Americans have access to stable, high quality health insurance coverage.”

“As our economy remains weak and more people find themselves unemployed or uninsured, millions of sick children will still be able to visit the doctor or take their medicines when needed.”

“Now that CHIP is enacted, we need to get busy enrolling eligible kids. The burden switches to state and local officials to ensure that there are no unnecessary procedural barriers for parents who want to enroll eligible kids in CHIP or Medicaid. All the national and local groups that effectively supported CHIP during its reauthorization need to be just as passionate about helping to enroll eligible kids.”

“We also cannot lose sight of the tens-of-millions who are still uninsured in our nation. This legislation is an important first step towards comprehensive health reform that will result in helping all Americans live healthier lives and get the care they need.”

“We at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are proud of our efforts and the partnerships we have formed to help families and policy-makers remove barriers to enrollment, so that millions more kids are covered. Since CHIP was first authorized in 1997, the Foundation has invested enormous resources and worked with partners in every state across the country to educate parents, to build and train local coalitions focused on enrollment and implementation, and to help state and local officials enroll eligible kids in CHIP or Medicaid and keep them enrolled.”

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A.
President and CEO
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. The Foundation is the sponsor of Cover the Uninsured, the largest mobilization in history to create awareness of the need for action on the issue of the uninsured. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime.