Children‘s Health Insurance
Federal funding for the Childrens’ Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ended when the current funding authorization expired and Congress failed to act to renew it. The program, which ensures nearly 9 million children, was created in 1997 in response to the Clinton Administration’s failure to enact comprehensive health care reform. The original bill was sponsored by Senator Edward Kennedy (MA-D) and Orrin Hatch (UT-R) with support from First Lady Hillary Clinton. The program provides matching funds to States to provide health insurance for children in families with incomes that are modest but too high to qualify for Medicaid. It was expanded…
