Congress has an imperative to fund CHIP

It’s unconscionable that this crucial kids health program is subject to the political whims of Washington.

That massive tax reform plan is not the only fiscal nightmare that is rattling around the nation’s Capitol.

There is another problem that has now been festering for more than two months, one that affects some of the most needy among us – children.

Thousands of children across the region are in danger of losing their health insurance. And yes, this one is connected at the hip with the blind zeal of some in Washington to do away with the signature legislation of the Obama Administration.

While doing everything in their power to gut and eventually do away with the program known as Obamacare, our elected officials also have managed to allow funding for a crucial children’s health program to lapse.

CHIP, which stands for Children’s Health Insurance Program, provides essential health benefits for thousands of families. It started more than 20 years ago, but its funding has not been in place since Sept. 30.

Now several states, including Pennsylvania, are scrambling for cash to prop up the program.

CHIP steps in to offer health care benefits for children from low-income families who earn too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid coverage. The program has for the most part always garnered broad, bipartisan support. It does, after all, provide for care for needy kids. That does not mean it is above the partisan fray that has surrounded health care in Washington, D.C.

The clock is ticking, with a year-end deadline suddenly looming not that far off on the horizon.

As usual, legislators are now scrambling to make sure the unthinkable does not happen.

Several members of the U.S. House, including Rep. Ryan Costello, R-6, of West Goshen are now pressing for passage of the CHIP Stability Act, which would allow crucial CHIP programs to continue through the end of December while the Senate considers legislation providing for the long-term reauthorization of the program.

How many kids would this affect? Well, just in this region, CHIP offers benefits to 7,965 children in Delaware County, another 5,802 in Chester County, and even more in Montgomery County, where 9,942 kids are enrolled. In total, more than 175,000 children across Pennsylvania use the program.

Before CHIP was put in place back in 1997, the uninsured rate among children was 14 percent. Compare that with the rate today, less than 5 percent. More than 9 million children and 370,000 pregnant woman across the nation are covered under CHIP.

The funding for the benefits varies by state. The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission projects Pennsylvania’s funding would be gone by February if no action is taken. To his credit, Costello does not want to wait that long.

“This should have been done a long time ago,” the Chester County Republican said. “This is only a short-term fix, and is something I wish I didn’t have to offer.” We concur – on both parts. It’s unconscionable that a crucial program for kids health coverage could be subject to the political whims of Washington, but that is what’s happening.

And that’s why this shortterm fix is a must.

The House extended authorization for CHIP back on Nov. 3, but the Senate has yet to take action. A bipartisan bill to extend the program for five years passed out of the Senate Finance Committee on Oct. 3.

As is usually the case with any program in Washington, it’s not whether or not it’s merited – no one is arguing that with CHIP. Instead it’s how to pay for it. Time is running out. It’s not likely that a Senate version to fund CHIP will be ready before states start running out of money to fund the programs.

That means Costello’s interim plan is a must.

Once that is done, Congress needs to address a permanent fix for CHIP.

It should be one that funds the program without cutting out funding for someone else.

That kind of Solomon-like decision should not be a part of basic health care.

This weekend we saw the Senate move swiftly to help big business and some of the wealthiest Americans with their tax-cut plan.

Now maybe they can do the same for millions of children.