by Sybil Axner, Associate Director CDF-Minnesota

The Children’s Health Insurance Program:  Strengthening What Works 

Currently, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covers about 7 million children across the nation and that number will increase to about 14 million by 2013.  CHIP is comprehensive, head to toe, affordable for low-income families, and affordable for state governments through receipt of federal dollars for participation in the program.

The Health Care Reform proposal in the House would allow CHIP to end in 2013 and funnel the children currently covered by CHIP into the Exchange where they will buy new health care coverage that will likely cost more and provide less. Because many families will opt for the least expensive coverage their benefits will be lower. No child should be left worse off as a result of health reform.

The Health Care Reform proposal in the Senate would allow CHIP to continue until 2019, at which time it will end.

Why would Congress end a program that they just reauthorized and expanded this past spring that efficiently provides quality health care coverage to 7 million children?

Congress should expand and strengthen what we know already works.

Continuing CHIP will allow millions of children uninterrupted, affordable, and comprehensive coverage while testing the Exchange’s ability to provide comparable coverage for children.

Congress must support comprehensive, affordable, accessible care for all children everywhere.

Learn more about U.S. Senator Bob Casey’s CHIP Amendment that would continue full funding for CHIP through 2019, ensure affordable coverage and high quality benefits for children, and make it easier for families to enroll in the program.

Minnesota Senators Franken and Klobuchar signed on as co-sponsors of the Casey CHIP Amendment.  Please call to thank them for their commitment to ensuring affordable, comprehensive, and accessible coverage for all children by becoming a co-sponsor of the Casey CHIP Amendment.

Senator Franken can be reached at 651-221-1016 or 202-224-5641.

Senator Klobuchar can be reached at 612-727-5220 or 888-224-9043.