CHIP is finally getting funded after 114 days without a budget [View all]

[pnwmom]

Source: VOX

The Senate is expected to pass Monday a bill extending the Children’s Health Insurance Program for an additional six years, likely ending a funding crisis that has plagued the state-run health plan for the last four months.

Congress let CHIP’s long-term funding lapse 114 days ago. The program became a bargaining chip in larger negotiations over the federal budget and immigration.

But things changed early Monday afternoon, as the Senate began a series of votes to a bill extending the federal budget for an additional three weeks — and CHIP’s budget for an additional six years.

Both the House and the President are expected to support the Senate bill, meaning that CHIP may no longer be part of the congressional budget fight, and that state programs won’t have to worry about running out of money as soon as Monday evening.

Read more: https://www.vox.com/2018/1/22/16919640/chip-funding-congress-shutdown

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With CHIP out of the way, we will be in a stronger bargaining position in three weeks when this extension expires.