PhRMA contributes $11.3 million to SCHIP advertising campaign

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has contributed $11.3 million to the advocacy group America's Agenda: Health Care for Kids for advertisements supporting SCHIP expansion, CQ HealthBeat reports.

The ads will appear in at least 25 lawmakers' states and congressional districts. The ads do not name SCHIP specifically but commend lawmakers who supported a bill (HR 3963) that would have expanded SCHIP. President Bush vetoed the bill, citing cost concerns (Jansen, CQ HealthBeat, 9/19).

The House in January fell 15 votes short of the two-thirds majority required to override President Bush's veto of the legislation. The bill would have expanded SCHIP to cover 10 million children and increased spending on the program by $35 billion over five years, funded by a 61-cent-per-pack increase of the federal cigarette tax. It also would have limited coverage to children in families with annual incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 1/24).

The ads encourage viewers to contact their lawmakers and tell them to "keep fighting to insure our kids" (CQ HealthBeat, 9/19).