Sister Carol Keehan, DC, president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA), issued the following statement in response to the Administration's budget proposal.

We are deeply disappointed with the Administration's FY2009 budget proposal, which outlines devastating cuts to the Medicare and Medicaid programs that would harm beneficiaries and undermine the health care safety net. With the numbers of uninsured and underinsured continuing to rise, this is no time to cut back on vital health care services that so many of our nation's vulnerable populations rely on. CHA continues to be concerned about the growing number of uninsured children, especially those eligible but not enrolled in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) due to budget limitations. While the President's proposal assumes the continuation of the program through 2013, it is unclear whether the proposal would even provide enough funding to maintain coverage for children currently enrolled in SCHIP.

Additionally, given the uncertain economic future, we had hoped that the President would have outlined adequate funding for important discretionary spending programs that provide housing and other services. We are grateful that many members of Congress have expressed the desire to craft a budget that will go in a fundamentally different direction, and we look forward to working with lawmakers to pass a budget that reflects our nation's values and concern for the less fortunate.

The Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA), founded in 1915, supports the Catholic health ministry's pursuit of the strategic directions of mission, ethics, and advocacy. As the nation's largest group of not-for-profit sponsors, systems, and facilities, the ministry is committed to improving the health status of communities and creating quality and compassionate health care that works for everyone.

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