Pa. Auditor General Urges Funding of Children’s Health Insurance Program

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 3 -- Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale issued the following statement in response to the failure of Congress to renew funding for the federal Children's Health Insurance Program:

"It is extremely disheartening that members of the U.S. Congress could not get their acts together to extend funding for CHIP, which provides low-cost health, prescription, vision, and dental care to children from working families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid.

"In Pennsylvania alone, more than 175,000 children are enrolled in CHIP, and it would be catastrophic to these children and their families if this program lapses. While Pennsylvania's CHIP appears to have enough funding to function through February, the longer Congress waits to renew the program's funding the greater the risk for interruption or ending of CHIP coverage.

"I urge Congress to put aside partisan issues and do what is best for the nation's and Pennsylvania's children: fund CHIP now."