WASHINGTON -- Pennsylvania stands to gain as much as $1.82 billion over the next five years if Congress reauthorizes a popular health insurance program for children at a higher funding level, according to a report released yesterday by Families USA.

The nonprofit consumer health organization is one of many groups pushing Congress to approve a vast expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, before it expires in September.

Lawmakers are considering adding $50 billion over a five-year period, although they would have to offset that increase with new revenues.

"I think this is a critical priority for the country," Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., a fervent supporter of SCHIP, said during a conference call with Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. "At a time when people are talking about health care and trying to wrestle with that difficult issue, this is a program that's working."

States administer SCHIP, and, in recent years, some have undertaken their own efforts to spread coverage to uninsured children. But many states, including Pennsylvania, won't be able to meet those goals without more federal funding.

In March, Pennsylvania started expanding enrollment under its new "Cover All Kids" program. It provides federally subsidized coverage for families that are at up to 300 percent of the poverty level, meaning income of about $61,950 for a family of four. Those families pay sliding-scale fees for the coverage based on their incomes.

Families with incomes at 200 percent of the poverty level pay no monthly premiums; those with higher incomes up to 300 percent of the poverty level pay premiums ranging from about $38 to $60 per child.

Families with incomes above 300 percent of the poverty level pay about $150 a month per child.

Cover All Kids already has had some success. Last month, the state added coverage for 2,800 children, the largest one-month enrollment in a decade, according to George Hoover, a deputy insurance commissioner.

About 159,000 Pennsylvania children already are covered by SCHIP. The state estimates that about 133,000 are uninsured. If Congress adds money to the program, the number of covered children could jump to nearly 200,000 by 2009, Mr. Hoover said.

Nationwide, about 9 million children are uninsured. SCHIP covers about 6 million people, including more than 600,000 adults.

Pennsylvania currently receives $2.13 in federal money for every $1 it spends on SCHIP, the Families USA report says. It estimates that the state's share of federal funds would triple under the larger program being considered by Congress.

Using economic models from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the report also estimates that the influx of money would have a "multiplier effect" starting in the health care industry, adding as many as 8,500 jobs in the state.

The Bush administration has proposed focusing SCHIP on covering children who live in poor families. But Mr. Casey argues that the president's proposal would "take us backwards."

The issue has long been an important one for Pennsylvania's freshman senator. His father, Robert Casey Sr., launched an earlier version of the program in 1992. Five years later, Congress approved a decadelong federal funding authorization for SCHIP based on successes in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

The Senate Finance Committee is expected to take up a reauthorization bill next week, and both chambers may vote on a final version after the August congressional recess, Mr. Pollack said.

"We cannot continue our program if we don't get the money from the federal government," said Alisa Simon, health director for Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth.

Mr. Casey argued that focusing on health care for children would help the United States maintain a healthy, highly skilled work force.

"I've been pushing very hard to get the $50 billion over five years that so many have been advocating for," Mr. Casey said. "I just think this is essential to our economy down the road."