The health coverage program’s enrollment soared during the three years after March 2020 due to temporary policies adopted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The emergency status allowed the federal government to cut through a mountain of red tape, with the goal of responding to the pandemic more efficiently.
President Joe Biden’s intention to end the national COVID-19 emergency will have long-lasting ripple effects on federal programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Social scientists determined that body mass index growth declined for children of low-income parents in states that had expanded their Medicaid programs.
Researchers found stark differences in child mental health and infant mortality rates, depending on whether immigrant mothers were covered by inclusive policies or not.
Funding for a children’s health insurance program ran out at the end of last September. Despite the program’s clear benefits, plans to renew it have been caught in partisan bickering.
Funding for the children’s health insurance program is in jeopardy if Congress does not act by September 30. Here’s a look at what’s at stake, and how Congress could act to secure funding for CHIP.