§657p Outreach Regarding Health Insurance Options Available to Children

Summary

Creates a task force to run a nationwide education and outreach campaign that tells small businesses about ways to get health coverage for children through private insurance, Medicaid, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. The task force includes the head of the Small Business Administration and the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury. The campaign must explain why kids’ coverage matters, how to make insurance more affordable (including federal and state tax deductions and credits and the federal tax exclusion under section 125 of title 26), what public program help is available, and the Insure Kids Now hotline. The task force may work with SBA partners such as small business development centers, certified development companies, women’s business centers, and the Service Corps of Retired Executives, and it may make agreements with chambers of commerce and other groups. The SBA must show clear links on its website to each State’s Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program enrollment rules. The SBA head must report to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the House Committee on Small Business not later than 2 years after February 4, 2009, and every 2 years after that on the campaign’s status. The law also defines the listed terms (Administration/Administrator, certified development company, Medicaid program, Service Corps of Retired Executives, small business concern, small business development center, State, State Children’s Health Insurance Program, task force, and women’s business center).