Skip to main content
Subscribe
  • Login
  • My Account
  • Logout
  • Register For Free
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Digital Health
    • Transformation
    • ESG
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Blogs
    • AI
    • Deals
    • Layoff Tracker
    • HLTH 2024
    • Sponsored Content: Vital Signs Blog
  • Opinion
    • Letters
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • 40 Under 40
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Innovators Awards
    • Diversity Leaders
    • Leading Women
    • Best in Business Awards
    • The 2030 Playbook Conference
    • Innovations in Patient Experience
    • Leading Women Conference & Awards Luncheon
    • Leadership Summit
    • Workforce Summit
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Diversity Leaders Gala
    • - Looking Ahead to 2025
    • - Financial Growth
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Looking Ahead to 2026
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Sponsored Video Series - Checking In with Dan Peres
  • Data & Insights
    • Data & Insights Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Skilled Nursing Facilities
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • Newsletters
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
    • Sponsored Content
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Government
January 10, 2018 11:00 PM

CHIP funding expected to pass next week

Susannah Luthi
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print

    The GOP tax overhaul's repeal of the individual mandate has unexpectedly saved the Children's Health Insurance Program at the 11th hour—and has added at least a year to the funding extension.

    A GOP senior aide told Modern Healthcare CHIP is "very likely" to go as a stand-alone next week, with six years of funding appropriated, even as Republicans and Democrats alike say they'd like to pay for 10 years.

    In the Senate, aides were less confident the package can pass as a stand-alone, but Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) wants to pass as long an extension as possible and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he would like to see 10 years as well.

    However long an extension they land on, lawmakers said, all signs point that CHIP will at the very least get funded in the Jan. 19 continuing budget resolution that Congress needs to pass to avert a government shutdown.

    "It's going to happen," said U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), former chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee. "I have every reason to believe it's going to happen before Friday."

    Upton has already notified representatives of the children's hospital in his district and said they're thrilled at the turn of events. "I could walk on water and it doesn't even need to be 20 degrees," he said.

    The sudden turnaround for the program's prospects — as states entered panic mode and made contingency plans to close their programs — came from a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office.

    Last Friday, the CBO sent a letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that revised the cost estimate for a five-year funding extension down to $800 million. This is $7.5 billion less than the original estimate.

    A second analysis, released publicly on Thursday, projects $6 billion in savings if Congress funds the program for 10 years.

    After bitter partisan wrangling over how to pay for the authorization has held CHIP hostage for months. The program that covers 8 million low-income children became a political football in inter-party negotiations over immigration and spending caps.

    This isn't to say it's all smooth sailing ahead as lawmakers barrel toward next week's budget deadline.

    House Energy and Commerce Chair Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said publicly on Thursday he wants six years as the committee's Ranking Democrat Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) griped about the so-called pay-fors that offset the cost of funding CHIP. the provisions in the previous GOP-led package targeted the grace period for Affordable Care Act enrollees as well as the ACA prevention fund.

    "I don't want to put a bill on the floor that includes those negative pay-fors," Pallone said. "I want them to be eliminated as much as possible."

    It's unclear why the pay-fors would stay in play now that the program extension saves the government money, but there is disagreement over funding CHIP for six years instead of 10 years.

    One Energy & Commerce committee member said Walden informed the committee on Wednesday that a 10-year extension could save money and committee members suggested passing the full 10 years as a package.

    Leadership aides however said on Thursday that six years is more likely.

    Children's healthcare advocates are cheering the news and pushing hard for the full 10 years.

    "Congress has a unique opportunity to protect and stabilize the health coverage for the 9 million children that receive care through CHIP while simultaneously reducing the federal deficit by $6 billion in this decade and an estimated $20 billion over two decades," says Bruce Lesley of the Washington-based advocacy group First Focus. "Congress should seize this opportunity, as it would be a win-win for children and both political parties."

    While CHIP's odds are looking up, the future of Medicare extenders that are especially key for rural hospitals is still murky.

    A senior GOP aide said they're on the table for the Jan. 19 continuing resolution "along with everything else."

    Currently delays of certain ACA taxes like the medical device tax and employer mandate aren't getting special attention in discussions either, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who heads health appropriations in the House, told reporters.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Legal-government-0225
    HHS lawsuit by Democratic AGs aims to stop restructuring, layoffs
    GettyImages-654573744.jpg
    Federal watchdog to retract medical debt collection opinion
    Most Popular
    1
    'Legendary' Hemsley takes over at UnitedHealth amid rough seas
    2
    Big retail tried to disrupt healthcare—who is making a dent?
    3
    These are the regulations the AHA wants RFK Jr. to scrap
    4
    Downside risk, upside payment highlight new CMS innovation agenda
    5
    Medicaid cuts bill clears key House committee
    Sponsored Content
    Modern Healthcare Alert: Sign up for this breaking news email to be kept in the loop as urgent healthcare business news unfolds.
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Help Center
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2025. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Digital Health
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • ESG
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Blogs
      • AI
      • Deals
      • Layoff Tracker
      • HLTH 2024
      • Sponsored Content: Vital Signs Blog
    • Opinion
      • Letters
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • 40 Under 40
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Innovators Awards
        • Diversity Leaders
        • Leading Women
        • Best in Business Awards
      • Conferences
        • The 2030 Playbook Conference
        • Innovations in Patient Experience
        • Leading Women Conference & Awards Luncheon
        • Leadership Summit
        • Workforce Summit
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Diversity Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Looking Ahead to 2025
        • - Financial Growth
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Looking Ahead to 2026
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
      • Sponsored Video Series - Checking In with Dan Peres
    • Data & Insights
      • Data & Insights Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Skilled Nursing Facilities
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • Newsletters
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing
      • Sponsored Content