Hickenlooper-Kasich Spearhead Letter To Congress For CHIP Funds

Carolyn Kaster/AP

Twelve governors of both parties are urging Congress to reauthorize funding for a popular children's health insurance program as soon as possible.

The recommendation involving the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, came in a letter to congressional leaders Tuesday.

Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich led the letter-writing effort. It was joined by the governors of Alaska, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Virginia.

Fresh funding for the $14 billion CHIP program ran out Oct. 1. Since then, some states have relied on unspent funds. Others got a short-term reprieve in the two-week spending bill President Donald Trump signed Friday.

Colorado has notified parents that funding is still in question for CHIP and asked that recipients start exploring other insurance options. The state will run out of money for CHIP by the end of January 2018. If Congress doesn’t restore CHIP funds by the end of December, the state plans to issue another batch of notification letters.

In their letter, which you can read below, the governors said funding the program "without disruption" is something they can all agree on.