For Immediate Release
May 14, 2018
Contact:
Brian Reardon
Statement by Sister Carol Keehan, DC, President & Chief Executive Office Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA)
The effort to rescind $7 billion in funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is an unfortunate and an unacceptable way to try and address the federal deficit. The proposed CHIP funding rescission would cause a real loss in funding for children’s health care and result in only a paper shuffle in federal deficit reduction, according to CBO’s analysis of the House rescission legislation.
The Children’s Health Insurance Program provides health insurance coverage to nearly 9 million low-income children and over 350,000 pregnant women across the country. It has been a reliable source of coverage for working families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to afford private health insurance.
On behalf of the Catholic Health Association, I urge the Administration and Congress to retain all funding previously allocated for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and ensure its availability for future reallocation in addressing the health care needs of children under the program. As children are among the most vulnerable members of our society, ensuring their continued access to comprehensive health care should remain our priority.
» Download PDF version of the CHA statement
The Catholic Health Association of the United States is the national leadership organization of the Catholic health ministry, representing the largest not-for-profit provider of health care services in the nation.
- 1 in 6 patients in the U.S. is cared for in a Catholic hospital each day.
- Catholic health care, comprised of more than 2,200 hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, systems, sponsors, and related organizations, serves the full continuum of health care across our nation.