(BOSTON, MA) – Statement of Eva Stahl, Director of the Children’s Health Initiative at Community Catalyst, regarding a Senate Finance Committee proposal by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Senator Wyden (D-OR) to refund the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP).

“We are grateful that Senator Orrin Hatch and Senator Ron Wyden, both longtime champions of children’s health, have reached an agreement on the tenets of a CHIP refunding bill.

“The senators’ dedication to ensuring millions of children continue to receive access to high quality health care coverage through the very successful CHIP program, which will end this month if Congress doesn’t act to renew funding, is laudable. We are encouraged by this bipartisan compromise by the leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, and we urge other committee members to work with their colleagues and make refunding a reality. 

“Community Catalyst has a deep commitment to children and their health that is driven by our mission to ensure all Americans, particularly the most vulnerable, have access to high quality, affordable health care. Toward that end, we believe it is imperative that children have access to affordable, age-appropriate benefits and a robust network of children’s health providers. Alongside Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, CHIP plays a crucial role in providing approximately nine million children and pregnant women with affordable, high-quality health coverage.

“The Hatch-Wyden deal is an important bipartisan first step needed to act on CHIP and move the discussion forward. We look forward to studying the details of the legislation and the debate that will follow.”

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About Community Catalyst
Community Catalyst is a national, non-profit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1998 with the belief that affordable quality health care should be accessible to everyone. We work in partnership with national, state and local organizations, policymakers, and philanthropic foundations to ensure consumer interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and the health system are made: in communities, courtrooms, statehouses and on Capitol Hill. For more information, visit our website and blog. Follow us on Twitter @healthpolicyhub.