12.07.2017 / Press Release

Short-Term CHIP Deal Shortchanges America’s Children

Washington, D.C. – Congress set the deadline for the renewal of CHIP funding more than 2 years ago and they are now nearly 70 days past the their own deadline. House leadership has announced a short-term funding plan to help states. Following is the statement of Families USA’s Executive Director, Frederick Isasi:

“Since September 30, states have been cobbling together funding to keep their CHIP programs up and running. Due to Congress’s inaction, states are now struggling to make sure their programs can continue to operate without interruption. The short-term patch recently announced by House leadership to help states piece funding together is not what Congress has promised and not what states and kids need.

“The news that Congress is continuing to delay action on a full 5-year extension means that states have no choice but to begin alerting families that their coverage is in jeopardy.

“Already, Colorado has notified families CHIP will shut down by January 31 if Congress doesn’t act. In early 2018, families in Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington may receive similar notices as these states are expected to run out of funds for their programs. As funding is not renewed and states have to work through the policies and requirements to prepare to disenroll families, states are spending precious CHIP resources on administrative operations, instead of on children.

“Over the last several months, Congress has repeatedly signaled its broad and bipartisan support for CHIP and they have promised time and again that they would get CHIP done. Now is the time for their actions to match their promises and fully fund the program.

“Time is up. Families need Congress to make good on its promises and to enact a bipartisan 5-year funding extension of CHIP as quickly as possible. No more excuses and no more delays.”

View Families USA’s CHIP Resources.

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