A new report by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families estimates that if Congress does not approve funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in January, an estimated 24 states (including D.C.) could face CHIP funding shortfalls. Coverage beyond February is most at risk for approximately 1.7 million children in 21 of the 24 states with separate CHIP programs. These states, in order of size of enrollment, are: NY, PA, FL, GA, CA, VA, AL, CO, WA, NV, MO, KY, MT, UT, ID, CT, AZ, LA, SD, MN, and DC.
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expired on September 30, 2017. States were able to continue to operate their programs in the short term with leftover CHIP allotment funds from fiscal year 2017. If these funds ran out, they were supplemented by a proportional share of unused funds from prior fiscal years reserved in a “redistribution” pool.
Just before the December recess, Congress approved $2.85 billion in CHIP funding in a so-called “patch” as part of the Continuing Resolution (CR) that expires on January 19. The CR also changed the way that redistribution funds are awarded to states, no longer guaranteeing a specific share of these emergency shortfall funds to any state.
