Riley Hosts National Town Hall and Discussion January 11, 2007

It’s Time to Cover All Children

Riley Hosts National Town Hall and Discussion

What: Riley Hospital participates in a national town hall meeting as part of major national efforts to urge Congress and the President to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). SCHIP will expire in September.

When: Thursday, January 11, 2007 at 12:00 p.m.

Where: Riley Hospital Room XE 033D (Media meets in Riley’s main atrium at 11:45)

Who: The National Association for Children’s Hospitals Conference originates from our nation’s capital. Susan Dentzer, lead health correspondent with The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS, will moderate a panel of nationally recognized experts. Afterward Gary Miller, Vice President, Hospital Operations at Riley Hospital for Children and Dr. Marilyn Bull from Riley Hospital for Children will facilitate a discussion on health coverage issues affecting the children of our community. Participants from Deaconess (Evansville), Lutheran

(Ft. Wayne), and Memorial (South Bend) Hospitals will be participating in this discussion via videoconference.

Why: Riley Hospital for Children and Clarian Health actively support reauthorization of SCHIP.

More than half of all children who come to Riley for treatment rely on federal or state funding.

We must keep this safety net intact for our most vulnerable population.

Background:

SCHIP was established in 1997 with $40 billion dollars for each state over a ten-year period.

SCHIP helps states pay for health coverage of uninsured children who are not eligible for Medicaid. SCHIP was designed as a federal/state partnership to expand health insurance to children whose families earn too much money to be eligible for Medicaid, but not enough money to purchase private insurance.

Official Website: http://www.rileyhospital.org/