Republicans Just Let Health Insurance For 9 Million Kids Expire
- Without immediate action, states will need to start shutting down their Children’s Health Insurance Program.
- 9 million children depend on CHIP for healthcare.
- The Children’s Health Insurance Program cost less than $14 billion in 2016.
Lost in the chaos of Trump’s failed Puerto Rico response, Tom Price’s private jet scandal, Trump’s racist NFL attacks, the so-called tax reform rollout and yet another Obamacare repeal attempt is the fact that funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program just expired.
Funding officially expired on Saturday and if Congress does not restore funding, 9 million children will no longer be able to see a doctor for checkups, flu shots or treatment when they get sick.
The program was created in 1997 under President Bill Clinton to provide health care for low-income children and pregnant women.
Under normal circumstances, Congress has always renewed funding for the program – but these are not normal times.
The program costs roughly $15 billion a year so compared to the other spending Congress has to decide on the Children’s Health Insurance Program is one of the smaller items they consider each year.
Some states may have a little bit of money leftover from previous years but make no mistake, within a few days states will have to start shutting down their CHIP programs.
[image via NBC screenshot]
