Children’s Health Insurance Program Still in Limbo After Yet Another Patch
- States running out of money after failure to reauthorize CHIP
- Bill provides $2.85 billion meant to last through March
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A critical government program that provides health-care coverage to 9 million low-income kids received yet another patch to help stretch it out a few more months -- with still no long-term fix in sight.
Congress passed short-term legislation Thursday night that includes $2.85 billion to help fund the program, known as CHIP, through the end of March. The measure will help cover the estimated 1.9 million children across 24 states and Washington, D.C., that stood to lose coverage for care such as doctors visits and hospitalizations in January as states have dipped into reserve funds. But the temporary relief still leaves CHIP and families that rely on it in a state of uncertainty.