Legislative Affairs

Federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expired at the end of September while Congress was focused on the latest proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and cut Medicaid funding, the Graham-Cassidy bill. For those unfamiliar with the program, CHIP offers low-cost insurance for children in low-income families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but covers many of the same services for children as Medicaid. If Congress does not act quickly to extend funding for CHIP then school districts will lose funding for the critical health services they provide to children covered by this program. 

This summary about the CHIP program explains that due to how the program is funded, even though funding has expired, a majority of states should have sufficient CHIP funding through next spring. However, at least 10 states anticipate running out of funding sometime between October and December of this year. If Congress doesn't pass a bill to reauthorize CHIP funding soon, children's health coverage in those states will be jeopardized. Fortunately, the Senate already has a reauthorization plan in mind, but due to other legislative items on Congress' agenda, we are concerned extending CHIP funding will fall off Congress' radar at students' expense. Failure to continue funding CHIP at the federal level would shift the financial burden of providing services to schools and the state and local taxpayers who fund them.

Please consider joining ASBO International and the Save Medicaid in Schools Coalition in urging Congress to support the Senate's bipartisan plan to extend CHIP funding as soon as possible.

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ASBO USA
asbousa@asbointl.org
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Last week, House Republicans proposed a "continuing resolution" (CR) bill to fund the federal government through January 19 to avoid a federal shutdown. This CR includes a provision to extend funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and community health centers. However, this solution is not ideal because it would be paid for by cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act's Prevention and Public Health Fund. 

A few months ago, the House and Senate had reached a bipartisan agreement to extend CHIP funding for five years, but GOP leaders stalled on this option because they've prioritized ACA repeal and tax reform instead. Now, states are facing an unprecedented funding crisis, and Republicans are only providing CHIP funding solutions that involve controversial ACA cuts and other offsets that Democrats refuse to agree to.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) reports that some of the damaging offsets would involve taking away health care from up to 688,000 people enrolled in the ACA marketplaces, and slashing funding for public health programs like children's immunizations and diabetes and heart disease prevention. Democrats have tried negotiating for months on how to pay for CHIP with sensible reforms, but Republicans are demanding solutions that would cut coverage and other program funding while simultaneously finalizing a tax plan that adds $1.5 trillion to the deficit and disproportionately benefits high-income households and large corporations.

Please consider contacting your representatives about extending CHIP funding via a bipartisan solution that isn't paid for by gutting other health care programs. CHIP and health center funding could be paid for by paring back the Republican tax plan's corporate rate cut by less than 2%. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 to connect with your officials or look up their contact information online.

 

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ASBO USA
asbousa@asbointl.org
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-18-2017 16:09
From: ASBO USA
Subject: Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

Federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expired at the end of September while Congress was focused on the latest proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and cut Medicaid funding, the Graham-Cassidy bill. For those unfamiliar with the program, CHIP offers low-cost insurance for children in low-income families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but covers many of the same services for children as Medicaid. If Congress does not act quickly to extend funding for CHIP then school districts will lose funding for the critical health services they provide to children covered by this program.

This summary about the CHIP program explains that due to how the program is funded, even though funding has expired, a majority of states should have sufficient CHIP funding through next spring. However, at least 10 states anticipate running out of funding sometime between October and December of this year. If Congress doesn't pass a bill to reauthorize CHIP funding soon, children's health coverage in those states will be jeopardized. Fortunately, the Senate already has a reauthorization plan in mind, but due to other legislative items on Congress' agenda, we are concerned extending CHIP funding will fall off Congress' radar at students' expense. Failure to continue funding CHIP at the federal level would shift the financial burden of providing services to schools and the state and local taxpayers who fund them.

Please consider joining ASBO International and the Save Medicaid in Schools Coalition in urging Congress to support the Senate's bipartisan plan to extend CHIP funding as soon as possible.

------------------------------
ASBO USA
asbousa@asbointl.org
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