By Liz Arjun

Two years ago today, President Obama signed into law the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act to help families facing tough times find affordable health coverage for their children. 

Thanks to the strong resolve of national and state leaders, many of our children have been offered shelter during these turbulent economic times. While private insurance has become less available and more expensive and people have lost jobs and the insurance that comes with them, CHIP and Medicaid have maintained a vital lifeline to America’s children.  

CHIPRA also encourages state leaders to demonstrate fiscal prudence by reducing red tape that wastes time and money and to focus on more efficient ways to get and keep children insured.

The initiative inspired a lot of positive change in the two years since it was reauthorized and a report issued yesterday from CMS cites some great examples of these changes from states such as Iowa, Kentucky, New Mexico and Wisconsin. 

These improvements to children’s health coverage programs are part of a national trend in which nearly all states have defended children from cuts to their coverage. CHIP and Medicaid are holding steady and doing their job of helping families continue to gain solid footing after the Recession.  They are crucial foundations that must be held strong as we move forward in further improving our nation’s healthcare system through full implementation of the Affordable Care Act. 

In addition to releasing their report on the progress in covering children since CHIPRA two years ago, CMS announced $40 million in new grant funding for state, community-based organizations, school districts to support outreach and enrollment activities to continue the progress that we have seen.  On Tuesday, the National Covering Kids & Families Network will host a webinar on CHIPRA where staff from CMS to provide an update on CHIPRA efforts including an overview of this new grant opportunity.  Go here to register for the webinar.