CHIP Funding Could Pass As Early As Next Week, Lawmakers Say
Progress toward renewing money for the popular program, which provides health care for children of low-income families, has been at a standstill because Democrats and Republicans haven't been able to agree on how to pay for it. Lawmakers say it is likely the deal will be resolved as part of the overall spending plan.
The Hill:
Lawmakers Say They're Close To Deal On CHIP Funding
Lawmakers in both parties say that a long-running disagreement over children’s health funding has almost been resolved and that funding could be passed as soon as next week. The reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) could be attached to a short-term government funding bill that must pass before Jan. 19, lawmakers say. Whether the reauthorization is ultimately tied to the bill, however, will depend on broader leadership negotiations. (Sullivan, 1/10)
The Oregonian:
Greg Walden Pledges Congress Will Fund Children's Health Care, ‘Hopefully Next Week’
Greg Walden, the Oregon Republican who chairs the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, pledged Wednesday that Congress will vote to extend funding for children's health insurance, "hopefully next week." Walden, in a lengthy interview with host Todd Zwillich on public radio show The Takeaway, said his committee has already identified and voted to spend the $800 million needed to keep the program funded beyond Jan. 19. That's when the money Congress has provided so far is expected to run out. (Borrud, 1/10)
Houston Chronicle:
Texas Sen. John Cornyn Confident Congress Will Pass CHIP Funding
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is confident Congress will reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by the end of next week. In a conference call Wednesday with reporters, Cornyn called CHIP funding a "must-pass piece of legislation." More than 400,000 Texas children get their health insurance through CHIP, but funding for the decades-long program expired in September. Texas has enough funding to cover its costs until the end of March, but the looming deadline has many families worried about their long-term health care needs. (Matos, 1/10)
Meanwhile —
The Wall Street Journal:
States In Limbo As Lawmakers Disagree On How To Pay For Children’s Health Program
Some states risk running out of money for a children’s health program in a countdown that is pressuring Congress to approve new money quickly, part of a continuing funding delay that has turned a little-known insurance program into an unwelcome embarrassment for Congress. Democrats and Republicans agree on the need to preserve funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, which covers about 9 million low-income children. Its formal funding ended Sept. 30. (Armour, 1/10)
The New York Times:
What If CHIP Funds Run Out? Here’s What 6 Families Would Do
The Children’s Health Insurance Program, better known as CHIP, covers nearly nine million children whose parents earn too much for Medicaid, but not enough to afford other coverage. But the program, which ran out of funding in September, is at a crisis point. Congress passed a stopgap spending bill late last month that was expected to keep CHIP running through March, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said some states could run out of money as early as next week. We asked readers to tell us how they would be affected if their children lost CHIP coverage. Their stories have been condensed and edited for clarity. (Haque, 1/10)
