CHIP gets temporary funding

The U.S. Congress passed a short-term spending bill on December 21 that provides temporary funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

The bill, which was signed by President Donald Trump on December 22, provides $2.85 billion to fund CHIP through March 31, 2018. It also keeps the government funded through mid-January 2018 and allows states to waive the automatic cuts to Medicare required by the December 20 tax bill.

While CHIP is popular with both Republicans and Democrats, CHIP funding expired on September 30, and Congress has yet to reach a long-term bipartisan solution. Approximately 9 million children rely on CHIP for health and dental coverage, and Colin Reusch, director of policy for the Children's Dental Health Project, is concerned that a short-term solution won't provide the stability that states and families need.

"No short-term patch is sufficient," Reusch told DrBicuspid.com. "There is no guarantee that we won't be in the same position come March when the extension runs out. So what we really need from Congress is a five-year extension to provide stable funding to the program."