Nonprofit Quarterly

By: Carole Levine

As people celebrate or mourn the defeat of the Graham/Cassidy healthcare bill, another important healthcare program is in danger of disappearing if it is not reauthorized by September 30th. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a successful state/federal and bipartisan partnership since 1997, is about to be lost in the partisan bickering of D.C., and the real losers will be children and families.

Since it was initiated in 1997, CHIP has grown the share of low-income children and pregnant women nationwide who have healthcare coverage from 86 percent to a current high of 95 percent today.

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That so-called “express lane” process has helped kids get covered without delays. The Georgetown Center for Children and Families cites an evaluation of the flexibility that shows it offers administrative savings and reduced barriers to coverage.

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Read more here.