“Congressional Leaders Signal They Intend to Kick the Can Down the Road on CHIP” Again

A Little History of the legislator who wrote the bill:

Chair of the House Appropriations Committee since 2017, Rodney Frelinghuysen’s campaigns have been funded by the aerospace, defense, pharmaceutical and health care industries. On domestic issues, he opposes legalized abortion, Planned Parenthood, sanctuary cities, and federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. He endorsed Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. He voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and replace it with the American Health Care Act (AHCA). He was criticized for purportedly failing to have in-person town hall meetings since 2013, as well as writing a letter which had the effect of threatening an opponent’s employment.

It does appear Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen has some irons in the fire when it comes to woman’s healthcare, healthcare in general, the healthcare industry, and who is a priority in healthcare plus sanctuary cities and green-house gases. Definitely unbiased irons as Congressman Frelinghuysen, like Michigan’s Mike Bishop, refuses to meet with his constituents and learn of their interests. His “Chip Further Continuing Appropriations Bill” passed by the Senate was reported-on by the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, Center for Children and Families’ Joan Alkers. The bill does not solve the 5 year funding issue for CHIP as proposed in another Republican led bill.

What is coming to pass is a stopgap measure taking unused CHIP funding and giving portions of it to states running out of funding. Some states ware better funded due to timing and other reasons. It is as Chairman Greg Walden of the House Energy and Commerce Committee called the stopgap measure:

“a short-term, fill-the-gap for states – a little rescue, lifeline for them right now.“

Portion of the Bill:

DIVISION B CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP) ALLOCATION REDISTRIBUTION SPECIAL RULE

SEC. 201. CHIP ALLOCATION REDISTRIBUTION SPECIAL RULE FOR CERTAIN SHORTFALL STATES DURING FIRST QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 2018.

‘‘(B) DETERMINATION OF REDISTRIBUTED AMOUNTS IF INSUFFICIENT AMOUNTS AVAILABLE.

‘‘(i) PRORATION RULE. Subject to clause (ii), if the amounts available for redistribution under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year are less than the total amounts of the estimated shortfalls determined for the 3 year under subparagraph (A), the amount 1 to be redistributed under such paragraph for each shortfall State shall be reduced 3 proportionally.

‘‘(ii) SPECIAL RULE FOR FIRST QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 2018.

‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—For the period beginning on October 1, 2017, 8 and ending December 31, 2017, with respect to any amounts available for redistribution under paragraph (1) for 11 fiscal year 2018, the Secretary shall redistribute under such paragraph such amounts to each emergency shortfall State (as defined in sub-15 clause (II)) in such amount as is equal to the amount of the shortfall described in subclause (II) for such State and period (as may be adjusted under subparagraph (C)) before the Secretary may redistribute such amounts to any shortfall State that is not an emergency shortfall State. In the case of any amounts redistributed under this subclause to a State that is not an emergency shortfall State, such amounts shall be determined in accordance with clause (i).

What is Stopping CHIP Funding?

The Hill blames it on Congress not reaching an agreement on how to fund the CHIP for children. The issue lies with the Republican Congress which wishes to take funds from other programs, etc. to fund the Children Health Insurance Program.

• Additional Means testing of certain higher income seniors. (if you start with this, it will grow to other things also. This is another Republican scam.)
• Allowing states to kick out Medicaid beneficiaries if they win the lottery (This can be done by asking for a waiver from the Republican run CMS).
• Shortening the grace period for people paying their Obamacare premium payments late. (The point to this is to penalize those who have lower incomes and have trouble paying during certain time periods.)
• Cutting more than $5 billion from the Affordable Care Act’s prevention and public health fund. These funds are used for the ACL, CDC, and SAMHSA programs.

Not satisfied with holding children hostage in the continental United States, Republicans are also holding Puerto Rico Medicaid funding hostage.

Another funding option suggested by Chairman Greg Walden of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is;

“letting states receive more money for CHIP from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This would not be new money, but would come from the agency’s unused funds.”

With Walden’s suggestion there would be no additional funding. This option would pit the needs of CHIP against the needs of Medicaid and Medicare. All of the funding options proposed either grow into something worse down the road for children and the elderly or steal from funding for those needing healthcare, programs again for the elderly and also programs for minorities and low-income constituents.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas for Republicans will be stealing healthcare from children and those who can least afford it or lose it.