CHIP Reauthorization May be Extended Long-Term

With the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) set to expire at the end of September, the Senate may be eyeing a long-term extension of the program, potentially up to five years. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee and who co-authored the original CHIP bill with Senator Ted Kennedy, indicated this week he would be in favor of such extension to provide more certainty to families and states.

CHIP is a joint federal-state program that provides insurance to low-income children and was last reauthorized in 2015. With a very busy September and limited time to pass measures before several deadlines, it is unclear when Congress will take up a CHIP reauthorization measure and how much funding such measure will include.