San Antonio Express-News: Congress is allowing CHIP to die; it mustn’t
The Children's Health Insurance Program began two decades ago as a bipartisan initiative, but it has now expired due to Republican indifference. The certainty of health insurance for an estimated 26,800 Bexar County children and 9 million across America could permanently disappear, along with services for many disadvantaged mothers.
When children's health suffers, so does their ability to learn, which only continues the cycle of inequality. Congress must not linger any longer while parents worry about their child's access to a family physician.
The Arriola family is one of many that depend on CHIP. Laura had to leave her full-time job after a lupus diagnosis. Not too long afterward, the family lost health coverage when her husband lost his job. While working to overcome these setbacks, the family relies upon CHIP to insure their three children, providing them with care and peace of mind.
On Thursday, I heard similar stories from physicians and child health advocates at the Children's Hospital, where we focused attention on the need for immediate action to restore CHIP. Dr. Mark Gilger, the Children's Hospital Pediatrician-in-Chief, began our event by explaining how CHIP is absolutely essential to the CHRISTUS Health model of providing preventative services to all children and to moms-to-be. Dr. Dianna Burns spoke eloquently about a 16-year-old with special needs on CHIP, whose father is a disabled veteran and whose mother is a home health care provider. This family sometimes struggles to even afford the $5 copay for covered services.
Fred Hines, CEO of the Clarity Child Guidance Center, explained how CHIP allows children access to timely treatment for mental illness, including the trauma caused by disasters like Hurricane Harvey. Dr. Rudy Morales Urby shared the story of Juan and Maria, whose parents make a bit too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private coverage. Both of these children with chronic illnesses were finding themselves in the emergency room about once a month, before getting covered through CHIP. Now, when they need care, the children can see a family physician, instead of the inside of an ambulance.
Further delay is unconscionable. Emergency funds have already been rushed to three states, and the head of Texas CHIP expects to run out of money in about three months or less.
Texas CHIP would likely be bankrupt already had the state not created barriers to insuring more children legally eligible for coverage. Texas ranks near the bottom on covering our kids. Of almost 700,000 uninsured Texan children in 2015, more than 300,000 were eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. Struggling parents cannot access help that they do not know exists. Texas has done about as little as possible to encourage CHIP enrollment, and it erects procedural barriers to enrollment for those who do manage to discover it. We must both protect CHIP and make it more accessible.
After postponing consideration of any legislation until authorization expired on September 30, congressional Republicans are attempting to pay for CHIP renewal by hiking Medicare premiums and by raiding the Affordable Care Act.
Medicare premiums should be used solely to strengthen Medicare, not be diverted to another purpose, however worthy. CHIP began as a bipartisan priority, and we need to find that spirit of cooperation again.
Every day that passes without legislative action on CHIP puts more children at risk. We should not permit millions of children to be kicked off coverage specially designed for their needs. As President Trump wreaks chaos in the broader insurance marketplace, it is increasingly critical to maintain stable coverage for children.
I hope others will join in being a voice for the littlest voices.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett represents the 35th Congressional District, which includes an area ranging from San Antonio north to Austin.