As Congress Stalls on Children’s Health Insurance, States Warn of Cuts
Until this year.
Fast forward to 2017, and the program has been expired for almost two months since
"It was terrible then [in 2015], so the idea that it's come and gone is just ... nobody could have predicted this," says
The
The uncertainty about the program's future raises fears that states will have to freeze enrollment or end insurance coverage for some.
Three states --
A bill to reauthorize the program passed the House along party lines last month, but
"If this bill is partisan, it will never become law. It will go to the
At issue are provisions that would charge higher premiums to Medicare beneficiaries who earn more than
"It's fundamentally robbing Peter to pay Paul and just goes against the concept of bipartisanship," says
Twenty-seven states are expected to run out of money by the end of March if
Health officials, however, remain optimistic that the program will get reauthorized by
In the meantime, "just sending out a notice can have a chilling effect," says Brooks.
As more states send notices to families warning them about their coverage ending, people are likely to start putting pressure on the lawmakers on
"There's this intense focus on the tax package, that it has to get done. I just wish they'd see CHIP as a starting point," she says. "If we can't protect children's health insurance, what does that say about our values?"
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