Pallone Lauds Continuous Medicaid & CHIP Coverage for Children Going into Effect on January 1, 2024
E&C Ranking Member Led Democratic Efforts to Guarantee One Year of Continuous Coverage for Children Enrolled in Medicaid & CHIP
Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today ahead of legislation he authored to require one year of continuous health care coverage for children in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) taking effect on January 1, 2024:
“Over the last several months, we’ve seen Republican-led states use the end of COVID-era protections to take health care coverage away from millions of Americans. Unfortunately, nearly three million children have lost coverage as a result of these states’ choices.
“Thankfully, legislation Democrats secured will go into effect on January 1st that will require states to provide one year of continuous coverage to children eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. This will bring some much-needed stability to health coverage for children and some peace of mind to parents. It will also help prevent some of the egregious Republican state efforts to put in place administrative roadblocks that strip away health coverage from kids.
“I’m grateful to the Biden Administration for working hard to implement this important new protection for our nation’s children that will help ensure they can access the quality care they need. This is an important step in our ongoing efforts to protect and expand access to health care for all Americans.”
During legislative negotiations last year, Pallone led Democrats in securing provisions in the fiscal year 2023 omnibus to require states to provide one year of continuous coverage for children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP beginning January 1, 2024.
Earlier this year, states began the process of redetermining individuals’ eligibility for Medicaid coverage as COVID-19-related protections came to an end. In June, Pallone joined Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden to express serious concern over efforts in Republican-led states to wrongly take health care coverage away from millions of low-income Americans during that redetermination process. For example, the five states with the largest declines in covered children—Texas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Arkansas—account for more than half of all children who have lost coverage nationally.
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