How could they have let this happen? This is without a doubt, not only the worst Administration in American history but one of the worst, most depraved and irresponsible and immoral Congresses ever.
These are children at risk, whose parents must be absolutely frantic. It’s especially ugly considering the GOP is finagling ways to grant personhood rights to fetuses as part of their tax plan and otherwise plotting to destroy women’s access to health care (along with everybody else’s if the ACA mandate repeal passes in the Senate.)
Officials in nearly a dozen states are preparing to notify families that a crucial health insurance program for low-income children is running out of money for the first time since its creation two decades ago, putting coverage for many at risk by the end of the year.
Congress missed a Sept. 30 deadline to extend funding for CHIP, as the Children’s Health Insurance Program is known. Nearly 9 million youngsters and 370,000 pregnant women nationwide receive care because of it.
Many states have enough money to keep their individual programs afloat for at least a few months, but five could run out in late December if lawmakers do not act. Others will start to exhaust resources the following month.
The looming crunch, which comes despite CHIP’s enduring popularity and bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, has dismayed children’s health advocates.
I remember the initial struggles to get universal health care in the 1990’s during Bill Clinton’s administration, and HRC’s tireless advocacy; and finally the creation of CHIP, and I simply cannot believe these reactionaries are blowing up something both popular and effective and also, incredibly necessary.
Most CHIP families, who earn too much for Medicaid but too little to afford private insurance, are not aware lawmakers’ inaction is endangering coverage. They’re about to find out, though. Virginia and several other states are preparing letters to go out as early as Monday warning families their children’s insurance may be taken away.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which administers the program at the federal level, issued a notice to state health officials on Nov. 9 detailing their options if CHIP funding does run dry. States forced to end the program will need to determine whether enrolled children are eligible for Medicaid or whether their family will need to seek insurance through an Affordable Care Act marketplace, the guidance said.
This is so frustrating.
I imagine the rest of you, like me, are frequent fliers on our Congress people’s phone lines and sending letters etc.
Well, time to do it again until somebody pays attention to the people, who are supposedly the government.
If my kid was sick and this unbelievably horrible Congress and Administration destroyed our access to healthcare I don’t know what I’d do.
www.washingtonpost.com/...