The conversation about the future of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) continues to take shape on the Hill. In addition to this week’s request to governors, last month Sen. Rockefeller introduced a bill to extend CHIP funds. Today Rep. Pallone and Rep. Waxman, co-sponsors of the original CHIP bill in 1997, introduced a companion House bill to keep momentum building on the importance of CHIP’s role in protecting and strengthening our nation’s incredible gains in children’s coverage.

Like the Senate bill, this bill would extend CHIP funding through 2019 and make important improvements such as extending and updating state performance incentives, making Express Lane Eligibility (ELE) permanent, ensuring that children in foster care and other state systems have better and more seamless access to care, and enhancing CHIPRA’s quality provisions. It would also give states the option to offer ELE and 12-month continuous coverage to adults, which also helps kids by keeping the entire family on the same enrollment and renewal schedule. And last but not least, the bill extends the primary care bump for Medicaid, which expires at the end of this year.

For more information:

• Full bill text
• Section-by-section summary
• Background

Stay tuned, Say Ahhh! readers…