Congress Approves Long-Term Child Health Plan Plus Funding

DENVER, Colorado, Jan. 22 -- The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing issued the following news release:

Today Congress approved a long-term, six-year funding extension for the Children's Health Insurance Program known as Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) in Colorado. CHP+ covers more than 75,000 kids and nearly 800 pregnant women in Colorado.

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Department) will be notifying members that the program will continue after the bill is signed into law by the President.

"Congress took an important step forward and found a long-term solution to restore federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program," said Kim Bimestefer, executive director for the Department. "We look forward to the President signing this bill as it will lift the burden of uncertainty from families throughout Colorado and allow them to continue to access the health care services that children and pregnant women need."

The Department will be posting copies of the CHP+ member notification letters and additional information over the coming week to its "Future of CHP+" web page at CO.gov/HCPF/FutureCHP.

If a CHP+ family receives a letter stating it is time to renew their CHP+ benefits, they should follow the instructions in the letter and pay their enrollment fee, if they owe one. Failure to pay their enrollment fee, may result in not having coverage.

About the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing: The Department administers Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid Program) and Child Health Plan Plus as well as a variety of other programs for Coloradans who qualify. For more information about the Department, please visit Colorado.gov/hcpf.