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You are here: Home / Anderson On Health Insurance / CHIP reauthorization

CHIP reauthorization

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Childrens’ Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding is due to expire this Saturday. The program has not been extended yet. CHIP covers 8.9 million kids in FY 2016. In 2009/2010, I was out of work and my daughter was on CHIP. It was the best insurance I’ve ever had as the network was broad, the premium after subsidy was very affordable, co-pays minimal and the customer service assistance in navigating the split enrollment process between Medicaid and CHIP was exceptional.

There is a Senate bill (Hatch-Wyden) that will re-authorize CHIP for five years. The big policy change is that it makes the states pay more of the match in years 3, 4 and 5 compared to current law. That bill needs to go through the House and the Senate by the end of the weekend. It needs to go through without any poison pills and extraneous provisions attached to it.

So if you have a minute, call Congress once again. Let’s take care of the kids today.

Reader Interactions

17Comments

  1. 1.

    Ohio Mom

    Seems to me that upping the state match is something of a booby trap, but yes, definitely better to have some CHIP than no CHIP
    at all. I am very busy today but will do my best to find time to pester Portman’s interns. I’m curious to see if now that the ACA repeal effort is over, if they’ll find it in them to actually pick up the phone.

  3. 3.

    Chyron HR

    CHIP is a neoliberal sellout like the ACA, but even worse because the Clintons did it (doubtlessly under orders from Goldman-Sachs). Killing it off will be the first (of a infinite number) of steps leading to single-payer.

  4. 4.

    MomSense

    Those bastards. Especially in the non expansion states, this is the only way families can at least protect their kids.

    We need to revolt against this Republican let them eat cakeonomics.

  5. 5.

    Another Scott

    RollCall:

    Congress is spared the usual end-of-the-fiscal-year drama this month, with normal fights over government spending punted until December, but lawmakers still face several deadlines before the Sept. 30 cutoff for fiscal 2017.

    With the Republicans’ last-gasp effort to undo the 2010 health care law fizzling, Congress may now try to pass short-term extensions to avoid running aground on the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Federal Aviation Administration and community health centers, authorizations for which expire at the end of the month.

    Legislation to renew funding for either CHIP or community health centers has yet to advance out of the committees of jurisdiction in either chamber, raising the stakes that a short-term fix will be needed.

    The House could act to pass such a fix for both programs this week, aides said. The chamber has scheduled a vote on a stripped-down, six-month extension for the FAA on the suspension calendar, which is typically reserved for noncontroversial measures.

    But it is uncertain whether the Senate would be able to advance similar measures, given the hyperpartisan environment that has currently engulfed the chamber over the GOP’s latest repeal effort.

    A bill to renew funding for the FAA has been approved by both the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

    CHIPping away

    Under CHIP, the federal government pays a percentage of the costs that states accrue. That match rate was bumped up by 23 percent in fiscal 2016 and has been a major point of debate between the two parties.

    The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission — an independent board of advisers for the program — has estimated that without a renewal, funding in some states could be depleted by early 2018. Governors had called for a swift reauthorization to give states the time to budget for the program next year.

    The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over CHIP, has yet to hold a markup of its bill to renew the program. Aides said it could occur as soon as Wednesday, but cautioned that the health care effort in the Senate could complicate that timeline.

    In the Senate, Finance Chairman Orrin G. Hatch of Utah and ranking Democrat Ron Wyden of Oregon have introduced a bipartisan bill to renew CHIP for five years, but it remains unclear whether such a proposal has enough support to pass either chamber.

    The legislation has not yet been reported out of the Finance Committee. It is unlikely the panel will hold a markup of the bill this week.

    Along with CHIP, Congress also faces a deadline in renewing the roughly $3.6 billion in annual funding for community health centers, facilities that treat upward of 26 million Americans each year.

    […]

    CHIP is important, but it’s just one thing. The Teabaggers are incompetent and don’t care that they’re breaking the federal government – they view it as a feature, not a bug.

    I assume they’ll pass a short-term extension for these things, kicking the can down the road. But they won’t give up the hostages.

    Grrr…

    Keep calling and fighting and let them know we’re watching.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  7. 7.

    Roger Moore

    @FlipYrWhig:

    We need to have less and worse insurance so that we can have more and better insurance.

    No. We need to have less and worse insurance to prove the purity ponies were right all along. That’s far more important than actually helping people.

  10. 10.

    rikyrah

    @Ohio Mom:

    I am very busy today but will do my best to find time to pester Portman’s interns. I’m curious to see if now that the ACA repeal effort is over, if they’ll find it in them to actually pick up the phone.

    Tell us if they actually pick up the phone.

  14. 14.

    TenguPhule

    The program has not been extended yet.

    And I’m afraid its just not going to happen.

    We shot our bolt just keeping the ACA alive.

    I don’t see how we can save CHIP with Republicans in control of the agenda.

  15. 15.

    Ohio Mom

    @TenguPhule: Oh, choose one:

    Where there is life, there is hope.

    It is not necessary to hope in order to persevere.

    It is not incumbent upon you to finish the task but neither are you free from starting it (this last one from some ancient Jewish sage).

    If none of those floats your boat, I have more. It is true that we pessimists tend to be right more often than those rosy-eyed optimists, but — the more ethical stance is to adopt optimism, even if it is a cautious optimism. It is choice that I have to make over and over because in the end, it is the only choice.

  16. 16.

    Kay Eye

    Called my two guys this morning. Cruz’s intern did not know what CHIP is, and had never heard of Hatch and Wyden. When I referred to the Hatch/Wyden bill, she asked, “Is this even a senate bill?”
    But she promised to pass my message along.
    Cornyn’s person said thanks for calling and the message will be noted.

    Will send Beto O’Rourke a donation today.

  17. 17.

    TenguPhule

    @Ohio Mom:

    It is true that we pessimists tend to be right more often than those rosy-eyed optimists, but — the more ethical stance is to adopt optimism, even if it is a cautious optimism.

    Optimism requires at least some basis for it.

    There is literally nothing we can do on CHIP. It requires Republican intervention.

    And while past performance is no guarantee of future results, this is the GOP we’re talking about.

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