Since 1997, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has worked with Medicaid to ensure that children from low and moderate-income families have health insurance. In 2016, this bipartisan program covered 8.4 million children in the United States and over 17,000 children in CT. Since 2015, the state contributes just 12 cents for every dollar used to cover kids eligible for CHIP.
While Congress passed a short-term extension in December, this was not enough. Connecticut’s HUSKY B participants have been informed that their coverage will end in February if Congress does not authorize a further extension of funding.
Policy Recommendations:
- Extend CHIP funding for 5 years.
- Continue the enhanced match of 88 cents per dollar.
- Extend and expand funding for Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs.
