John Bogna
Funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program covering thousands of children from working-class families across Texas was projected to last until anywhere between February and September. After Hurricane Harvey hit, CHIP is now expected to last only until January.
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“With the holidays coming up in the next few months, we really need Congress to get the job done now,” Adriana Koehler of Texans Care for Children said in an interview. “It’s expected that Texas will run out of CHIP funding in January.”
Texas Health and Human Services Spokesperson Carrie Williams confirmed that prediction, according to KUT.
After Harvey hit, co-pays and enrollment fees for families receiving CHIP services was waived. As a result, the program saw a drop in revenue, and its current funding won’t stretch as far as some thought.
Lawmakers are currently debating over how the program will be funded, further delaying revenue. CHIP was once considered a no-brainer for Congress to reauthorize the program because it covers children across the U.S. who can’t afford personal insurance plans but are not destitute enough to qualify for Medicaid.
If for whatever reason the money for CHIP runs out before Congress comes up with a plan, families will only have another 30 days of coverage before their coverage gets cut. Those involved with health care in Texas cannot stress the direness of the situation enough.
“Every day that goes by, the closer Texas gets to cutting off health care for kids,” said Koehler.
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