The Senate Finance Committee today approved by voice vote legislation to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program through fiscal year 2022. Under the KIDS Act (S. 1827), the program’s federal matching rate would remain at 23% through FY 2019, change to 11.5% for FY 2020 and return to a traditional CHIP matching rate for FYs 2021 and 2022. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is marking up a similar bill this afternoon. In addition, the House bill would delay the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts for FY 2018, but add two more years of cuts for 2026 and 2027; and would provide $1 billion in Medicaid funding to Puerto Rico. Offsets in the House bill include changes to Medicaid third party liability and treatment of lottery winnings and other lump-sum income for purposes of income eligibility under Medicaid, as well as adjustments to Medicare Part B and Part D premium subsidies for higher-income individuals. CHIP covers 8.9 million children with family incomes above Medicaid eligibility limits who lack access to affordable private coverage. While the program is authorized through Oct. 1, 2019, legislative action is needed to reauthorize funding, which expired Sept. 30.

Related News Articles

Headline
The Joint Commission July 29 announced an initiative to address “gaps” in how children’s hospitals are accredited and certified. The program will remove or…
Chairperson's File
Public
The recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act will bring big changes to health care. AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack joined me for a Leadership Dialogue…
Headline
The AHA July 24 announced it is collaborating with health care technology leader Epic to help hospitals adopt tools that support the early detection and…
Headline
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, M.D., July 19 visited AtlantiCare health system in New Jersey, making stops at its…
Headline
The Congressional Budget Office today released its estimate of the budgetary effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, as enacted. CBO projects the law will…
Headline
Health Insurance Marketplace insurers will propose a median premium increase of 15% for 2026, according to an analysis of preliminary rate filings published…