On September 30, 2017, the deadline expired to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides low-cost health insurance to about 9 million children. Though not immediately affected, if Congress does not act to quickly restore the program, many states will exhaust current provisions.
According to a July 2017 Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) report, several states will deplete CHIP funding by the end of this year, with the majority to follow by March 2018. The Senate Finance Committee recently introduced S. 1827, the Keeping Kids’ Insurance Dependable and Secure (KIDS) Act, to renew CHIP for 5 years. A hearing for this bill is expected to take place this Wednesday, October 4, 2017. In addition, the House Energy & Commerce Committee continues discussions regarding a legislative package that will reauthorize CHIP funding.
Your Academy will continue to closely monitor legislative developments and will provide updates, as available.