December 20, 2017 (BOSTON) — Jumpstart urges Congress to fully fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through a new post on Medium.com today. Funding for the program — which provides health coverage for children whose families make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but cannot afford private insurance — expired in September of this year, and Congress has yet to renew the funding.
“Every day, millions of young children enter classrooms around the country ready to read, count, and play. However, each child’s success in school and in life depends as much on factors beyond the walls of their school building as within. In addition to needing access to high-quality early learning opportunities through programs like Jumpstart, all children, especially low-income children, require basic safety, security, and health to thrive and succeed in kindergarten and beyond. Childhood and lifetime outcomes depend not only on educational opportunities, but also on access to nutritious food, housing stability, and comprehensive healthcare.”
It is unacceptable that Congress would allow CHIP to lapse for even one day and yet, Congress has allowed CHIP’s funding to lapse for nearly two months. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 16 states are on track to run out of CHIP funding by the end of January. If this happens, millions of children in those states will no longer be able to afford doctor’s visits, vaccinations, and prescriptions.
No comments yet.