Warner & Kaine Statement On Potential Loss Of CHIP Coverage For Virginia Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement after the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) announced they will begin to notify families tomorrow who have one or more family members enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that they will lose coverage on January 31st if Congress does not pass a bipartisan CHIP reauthorization bill:
“Today is a scary day for a lot of families in Virginia, and it was completely preventable. We asked Senator McConnell multiple times to help us support the 66,000 children and 1,100 pregnant women in Virginia who receive their health care through the CHIP program, but Republican leadership still hasn't brought it forward for a vote. There is a bipartisan bill on the table, and it’s critical that we pass it before Congress leaves for the holidays so we can give some peace of mind to Virginia parents who are worried about whether their children will have health insurance in the new year.”
Warner and Kaine have urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to immediately pass bipartisan legislation to reauthorize CHIP, with letters in October and December.
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