U.S. House passes CHIP funding

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to reauthorize funding of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

The Healthy Kids Act (HR 3921) reauthorizes funding for the program for five years. The vote was 242-174, mostly along party lines, as House Democrats were opposed to the funding mechanisms.

The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate, which also is working on its own version of the bill. Multiple reports suggest the funding may not be submitted to U.S. President Donald Trump for signature until December.

Legislators missed a September 30 deadline to renew the program's funding. At least four states (Arizona, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Utah) plus the District of Columbia will run out of CHIP funds by the end of 2017, according to news reports. Overall, the program cost the U.S. government about $13.6 billion in 2016.