The Greatest Threat to Children's Health Care
In addition to a bipartisan group of governors, children’s health care advocates are calling on Republican leadership to enact a long-term, bipartisan reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. You can read the entire letter here, but here are the key excerpts:
“States have already started to notify families that they may not have a source of coverage should Congress fail to enact a long-term extension of CHIP funding, and several states have started to use funds meant to operate the program to start shutting it down. The short-term CHIP funding included in the House spending bill is not enough to prevent states from continuing these actions, and only causes more chaos and confusion on the ground.”
“What states and families need is stability. Instead, what they get from the House measure is a continuation of a dangerous trend: temporary, inadequate CHIP funding patches, delivered at the last possible moment with no comprehensive relief or assurance.”
“Congress’ failure to extend CHIP funding long-term has resulted in a manufactured emergency that has real consequences for children, families and pregnant women. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Right now, the greatest threat to children’s health care coverage is congressional inaction.”
“What states and families need is stability. Instead, what they get from the House measure is a continuation of a dangerous trend: temporary, inadequate CHIP funding patches, delivered at the last possible moment with no comprehensive relief or assurance.”
“Congress’ failure to extend CHIP funding long-term has resulted in a manufactured emergency that has real consequences for children, families and pregnant women. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
“Right now, the greatest threat to children’s health care coverage is congressional inaction.”