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Failure to fund CHIP could leave thousands of Valley children without basic health care

October 30, 2017

Nearly a month after Congress failed to fund a health insurance program for children, states have started running out of money — leaving low-income families in the lurch.

The Children's Health Insurance Program — commonly called CHIP — provides low-cost health insurance for children from families that don't qualify for Medicaid.

"Healthcare coverage for nearly 9 million children across the U.S. hangs in the balance," said U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, in a news release. "Congress must take immediate action to reauthorize funding for CHIP and ensure that low-income children and families continue to receive the care that they need."

CHIP covers routine check-ups, vaccinations, dental care and other medical services.

The program caps costs at 5 percent of a family's annual income.

While CHIP is primarily funded by the federal government, the program is administered by the states. Some states have already notified families they may lose coverage.

State Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, said Texas can't fund the program past February without federal help.

"And after that, we're in trouble," Canales said.

The House may vote on a bill to fund CHIP this week, according to The Hill, but Democrats and Republicans haven't agreed on how they'll pay for the program.

According to The Hill:

Reauthorizing CHIP is usually a bipartisan affair, but the House is set to vote this week on a five-year, partisan bill. Democrats oppose how Republicans want to pay for the program — such as charging wealthy Medicare beneficiaries more and gutting ObamaCare's public health fund. The parties reopened negotiations on the bill earlier this month, but couldn't come to an agreement.

Issues:Health Care