It ‘must be resolved’
Markey presses Congress to extend CHIP
About 172,000 Massachusetts youth — newborns to age 21 — are weeks away from losing their health coverage if federal lawmakers fail to fund an extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, said officials girding for the worst.
At a press conference yesterday at Boston Children’s Hospital, U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey said Massachusetts is in danger of losing $148 million in funding if Congress fails to act soon.
“We’re here because the Republicans, obviously, are holding children hostage in order to ensure that they can finish their tax break for the wealthiest people in the country. We’re raising our voices to say we will not accept it,” Markey railed. “The program expired in September. It should have been reauthorized ... CHIP is a central issue that must be resolved before we adjourn for this year.”
CHIP provides matching funds to states to help poor and middle-class families that are struggling, but exceed the income bar to qualify for Medicaid.
Brian Rosman, research director for the Hub nonprofit Health Care For All, said if the money runs out, “Some kids would move onto MassHealth coverage, but the state would get much less money, so the state would have to use Medicaid funds. Other kids would be at risk for losing coverage, and for pregnant women, they would just lose all coverage.”
Dr. Kevin B. Churchwell, Children’s chief operating officer, said, “This is way too important for our society for us to not take care of this important work. Not to have this certainty, not to have insurance for children, is an abomination.”
Kayla Kline, whose 3-year-old son depends on CHIP for his care at Children’s, said, “CHIP is not a blue issue or a red issue, it’s a moral issue, especially where children are involved.”
To avoid immediate disruption, MassHealth is claiming certain spending under Medicaid to reserve for CHIP funding only, to extend it through the end of the state fiscal year.