Sources: Health Policy Institute of Ohio and American Academy of Family Physicians Washington, DC, Office
In statehouses around the country, officials are preparing for the worst as lawmakers in Washington struggle to find money for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which insures nearly 9 million children, but lost its spending authority on October 1, 2017, with the start of the new fiscal year (Source: “States Gird for Worst as Congress Wrestles with Children’s Insurance Program,” New York Times, Oct. 3, 2017)
To send a message to your legislators in Washington, DC, in support of renewing CHIP, use the AAFP Speak Out system.
The message:
“CHIP is a success story. Thanks to CHIP and Medicaid, fewer than 5% of U.S. children lack health insurance. CHIP has contributed greatly to ensuring affordable insurance and access to medical services for millions of children.”
Most states still have unspent funds that will last several months. But, some are drafting contingency plans in case Congress does what it has done so often—fails to reach an agreement. A federal panel that advises Congress on the CHIP says that more than half the states are expected to exhaust all their CHIP funds within six months.