US President Barack Obama has signed a bill to expand government-funded health insurance to cover an additional four million children, in what can be seen as a key step towards universal healthcare.
According to the BBC, he acted just hours after the House of Representatives backed the $32.8bn (£23bn) expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Programme, as part of his commitment to “ fulfil one of the highest responsibilities that we have, to ensure the health and well-being of our nation’s children.”
The president said that adding four million uninsured children to the State Children’s Health Insurance Programme, which currently insures some seven million children, was an important step towards fulfilling his promise of universal health care in America.
Viewing events from the UK, with the publicly funded NHS providing free healthcare service at the point of care, Obama’s decision is a welcome one, which is to be applauded. Improving access to care services will play a vital role in reducing healthcare inequalities and improving healthcare delivery for future generations.
The bill must first gain passage in the Senate, also controlled by Democrats, where there are deep concerns about the measure’s impact on the state’s widening budget gap.
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