Dear Partners,
As you know, federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expires in September. Coverage for millions of children is at risk, and uncertainty about the future of this funding is complicating the budget process for states.Congressional action is needed as soon as possible to ensure CHIP continues and children's coverage is not compromised.
Yesterday, Senators Brown, Wyden, Casey, and Stabenow introducedthe Protecting and Retaining Our Children's Health Insurance Program (PRO-CHIP) Act, which would sustain CHIP for four years, through 2019, as well as maintain important outreach initiatives and efforts focused on measuring and improving pediatric quality of care. This bill will require strong bipartisan support in order to succeed.
Congress is in recess the week of February 16, and we expect many members to be home in their districts. This is an important opportunity to meet with members of your delegation and their staff and educate them about the importance of CHIP in your state. We urge you to request meetings with your member or his/her health staff or to attend a town hall and ask your member to support new federal funding for CHIP. Moreover, if you are meeting with your Senator, we encourage you to ask that he/she support the PRO-CHIP Act through cosponsorship or, if he/she is already signed on as a cosponsor, through vocal advocacy among colleagues.
The following resources are available to help you have these conversations:
- Our recent blog post provides a high-level overview of the need for CHIP
- Making the Case for CHIP: Why CHIP is Still Crucial in a Post-ACA Environment goes into additional detail about the risks of ending CHIP now
- If your governor submitted a letter to Congress about CHIP, bring a copy with you--you can find your governor's letter here
- Responding to Frequently Asked Questions about CHIP will help you answer tough questions you may receive
- This recent Harvard Business Review feature spotlights CHIP to explain that public programs are good for entrepreneurship
As always, the Community Catalyst children's team is available to support you if you need assistance finding a contact in a member's office or preparing for a meeting. Please reach out to Kate Lewandowski at klewandowski@communitycatalyst.org with any questions or concerns.
Thank you for your continued advocacy,
Community Catalyst Children's Health Team