State Rep. Cora Faith Walker, D-Ferguson, has filed legislation that would require the Missouri Legislature to fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, if the federal government fails to budget money towards the program. Congress has not reapproved CHIP funding, which provides health coverage for nearly 90,000 Missouri kids. The Show-Me State could reportedly lose such funding during the first quarter of next year if action is not taken at the federal level.
“While Congress continues to delay reauthorizing CHIP funding, health coverage for nearly 90,000 kids in Missouri is at risk as states have waited more than 60 days for Congress to act,” says Walker. “Through the advancement of House Bill 1334, we as a body have an opportunity to protect health care for kids from working families and assist them in maintaining a decent quality of life. The time of waiting is over.”