Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CHIP Funding Morass: How Did Something Everyone Seems To Agree On Get To This Point?
Politico: Health Program For 9 Million Kids Falls Victim To Partisan Squabbling
Everyone in Congress claims to be a champion of children’s health.But funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program ran out Sept. 30. And some lawmakers worry it might not be replenished until early next year. It’s a mess that can happen only in Washington: Even a bipartisan program that covers 9 million poor and middle-class children is caught up in partisan squabbling, with Republicans and Democrats split over how to pay for renewed funding and placing blame on the other party. (Haberkorn, 12/15)
The New York Times: Millions Of Children Could Lose Health Coverage Starting Next Month
Lawmakers have yet to renew federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP, which insures nearly nine million children in low-income families. Most states will run out of money in the next few months if Congress does not act. (Park, 12/14)
Reuters: With No Deal On Children's Health Plan, U.S. States Scramble For Plan B
For Nancy Minoui of Portland, Oregon, and Crystal Lett of Dublin, Ohio, Congress' failure to fund the Children's Health Insurance Program is not some distant tale of political wrangling. For Minoui, it's about how to provide care for her daughter, Marion Burgess, born last Valentine's Day with a hole in her heart. For Lett it's about providing care for her 6-year-old son, Noble, who was born with a complex genetic disorder. (Mincer and Abutaleb, 12/14)
Modern Healthcare: Political Tensions Ramp Up On CHIP As Hospitals Urgently Call For Funding
The Children's Health Insurance Program funding fight shows no sign of ending as next week's spending deadline looms, and states and hospitals are mounting increasingly urgent pleas for action. States now have sent out letters to parents of CHIP-enrolled children warning them the program may not continue. One-third of states project they will run out of CHIP funding by the end of January. (Luthi, 12/14)
CQ HealthBeat: Democrats Pushing Back Against CHIP Offsets
Democrats are unhappy about the House GOP’s Children’s Health Insurance Program provisions in the continuing resolution, although they are pushing for a renewal for the funding with different offsets. The CR, which would continue government funding through Jan. 19, includes a House-passed CHIP renewal bill (HR 3922) that funds CHIP for five years and other safety net programs such as community health centers for two years. (Raman, 12/14)
Chicago Tribune: U. Of C. Medical Students Rally For Congress To Renew Children's Health Insurance Program
University of Chicago medical students had a message for Chicagoans on Thursday: Congress is putting children’s health at risk by not renewing a children’s health insurance program. More than 50 medical students and others gathered at Federal Plaza on Thursday to decry Congress’ failure to reauthorize funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program before it expired in late September. About 255,000 children in Illinois receive coverage through the program, which is meant to help kids whose families make too much to qualify for Medicaid but still can't afford private insurance. (Schencker, 12/14)
Boston Globe: State Pledges To Sustain Child Health Program, Even If Congress Fails To Provide Funding
Massachusetts’ top health official said Thursday that the state would maintain health coverage for thousands of children through the middle of 2018, even if Congress fails to approve new funding for the popular program on which they rely. About 172,000 children in Massachusetts from low- and moderate-income families are covered by the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, whose cost is paid mostly by the federal government (the rest is covered by the state). (Dayal McCluskey, 12/14)
