Press Release | November 1, 2017

Disenrollment Letters Signal Urgent Need for CHIP Reauthorization

CHIP's expiration is already creating negative consequences in many parts of the nation

Funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has now expired, and millions of children could soon lose access to invaluable health services

A failure to renew CHIP is already having a negative impact in many communities


(Washington, D.C.–) The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) insures 8.9 million children in the United States.  That’s one child in ten across the country, the vast majority of whom are part of working families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but also don’t earn enough to afford private insurance.  CHIP provides access to an array of preventative and other health measures that help keep children healthy, families financially stable, and our country strong.

Unfortunately, funding for CHIP has now expired.

We were disappointed that policymakers in Washington failed to reauthorize CHIP by the September 30th deadline.  Even more unfortunately, that failure is about to have some real consequences for families in several jurisdictions across the United States.

Arizona, North Carolina, Mississippi, and the District of Columbia will begin to issue CHIP “dis-enrollment” letters today, November 1st.  The purpose of these letters is to inform families that they may soon no longer have access to the services that CHIP funding provides.  Along with this information comes fear, uncertainty, and stress for working families that may already be struggling to make ends meet.

This is not only unacceptable, but needless.  CHIP is a successful program that has enjoyed broad, bipartisan support since its passage.  Congress needs to prioritize completing reauthorization before their delay begins to have an irreversible negative impact on Americans who rely on the supports CHIP provides.

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