Wolf urges Congress to pass funding for CHIP
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday urged Congress to renew federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program as he signed a bill guaranteeing funding at the state level.
“I am proud to sign this legislation that represents Pennsylvania’s bi-partisan commitment to securing health insurance for our must vulnerable — our children and pregnant women,” the governor said in a statement. “However, it is just one step in ensuring children are cared for. Congress needs to do its part and reauthorize CHIP at the federal level.”
Mr. Wolf, a Democrat, signed the state bill Friday afternoon at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was joined by state Human Services acting secretary Teresa Miller.
The program also known as CHIP, covers more than 180,000 children in Pennsylvania, providing health insurance for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. About 90 percent of the $450 million that supports the state’s program comes from the federal government, according to Mr. Wolf’s office.
Congress is nearly three months past its deadline for approving CHIP funding for the states. Absent quick action from Congress, the Wolf
administration has warned that Pennsylvania could run out of money for CHIP sometime in the first three months of 2018, meaning families would lose their coverage. If that happens, the administration hopes to notify families at least 30 days before they would lose coverage.
In Pennsylvania, state Senate Republicans sought to bar CHIP funding for gender affirmation surgery for transgender youth, though this procedure is rarely sought by people in the program. The Senate approved a version of the bill without that prohibition on Monday, clearing the way for Mr. Wolf’s signature.
A bill has been introduced in the state House of Representatives by Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford, that would bar public funding such as CHIP and Medicaid for transgender surgeries for all ages. No action has been taken on the bill, which Mr. Topper said may be revised.