By Heather Posey, Staff Writer
Pediatric residents and faculty at Miller Children’s Hospital took a stand Tuesday as they united in a silent protest outside the hospital’s main entrance. The 15-minute rally was a brief display of collective support to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the federal program which provides health insurance for children from low-income families.
Championing the program which expired Sunday, Miller pediatricians and young pediatricians from across the nation all agreed to protest in hopes to implore Congress and the White House to support SCHIP’s reauthorization on Tuesday, the same day in which President Bush said he would veto the bill.
SCHIP, created in 1997, was created to help states provide regular checkups, immunizations, doctor’s visits and hospital care to uninsured children ineligible for Medicare. Twelve states as of Oct. 1 have fallen short of funding to insure their children, and 23 more states are expected to fall short by Jan. 2008.
