CHIP in Trouble

By: Cohen, Placitella & Roth @ Dec 07, 2017

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (known as CHIP) covers nearly 9 million children in the United States whose parents earn too much for Medicaid, but not enough to afford other coverage is in limbo. This program provides health coverage for children, and it’s a victim of the partisan rancor in Washington. Its federal funds ran out on Sept. 30, and Congress still has not agreed on a plan to renew the program. In Pennsylvania 176,000 children are at risk of having no health care.

These families and children have no where to turn. And it’s here, now and real. Last week Colorado sent letters to CHIP families, advising them to start researching private health insurance options because there was “no guarantee” that Congress would continue the program. Texas has drawn up a detailed “termination timeline” under which the state could begin mailing insurance cancellation notices on Dec. 22, three days before Christmas.