NGA urges congressional leaders to take 'immediate action' on CHIP

The National Governors Association yesterday urged House and Senate leaders to take “immediate action” on the Children’s Health Insurance Program. While CHIP is authorized to operate through Oct. 1, 2019, legislative action is needed to continue funding the program, which expired Sept. 30. “CHIP is a Congressional success story to be celebrated – with the un-insurance rate for children age 18 and younger across the country dropping from 14.9% to 4.8% since first enacted,” NGA leaders wrote. “And although the program has had broad bipartisan support in past Congresses, the expiration will result in three states and four territories losing all federal CHIP support in December. Absent congressional action, states will be forced to take steps including the notification of thousands of families of the loss of CHIP health care coverage.”