The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

By: Kate Giammarise and Sean Hamill

Because Congress failed to act in time, multiple safety net funding programs will head over a fiscal cliff this weekend, including those that provide for children’s health care, rural hospitals, and Medicaid and uninsured patients.

But efforts in the House are expected to begin next week that congressional staffers say they hope will be approved quickly enough to prevent any long-term financial problems for those who depend on the programs.

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“There does seem to be agreement in both chambers” that CHIP should be extended, said Joan Benso, president and CEO of the advocacy group Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. “But the most important question is, what happens to the 176,000 children covered by CHIP [in Pennsylvania] until they approve” continued funding?

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