Health coverage for 130,000 Ohio children through the Children’s Health Insurance Program or CHIP is set to expire later this year.
Ohio's Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown was at Dayton Children’s Hospital on Monday to announce his plans for extending the CHIP program set to expire in September. Brown says he’ll be the lead sponsor of legislation to address the issue.
According to Dr. Maria Nanagas, Medical Director of the Children’s Health Clinic, 89 percent of the children they serve receive Medicaid or CHIP benefits, and if the program expires about 2 million Ohio children could become uninsured. She says it’s essential that the program continue uninterrupted to avoid any gaps in services.
Miami Valley resident Karen Brown attended the press event and testified how the CHIP program has helped her family.
CHIP is a joint state and federal health insurance program that was started in 1997 for low- to moderate-income children and pregnant women.
