Burns votes to extend CHIP, eliminate the requirement that children go without insurance before signing up
Rep. Frank Burns October 15, 2013
HARRISBURG, Oct. 15 – State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria/Somerset, today voted for legislation that would extend the state's Children's Health Insurance Program.
Burns said that in addition to extending the program's expiration date to Dec. 31, 2015, the bill (H.B. 108) also would eliminate the provision that requires children go without insurance for six months before being able to enroll in CHIP.
"This extension means that hundreds of thousands of children and their families will continue to benefit from this landmark program," Burns said.
Currently, statewide, 188,098 children are enrolled in CHIP. In Cambria County, 2,258 are enrolled, and 1,460 in Somerset County.
CHIP provides free and low-cost health insurance to children from birth to 18 in families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but too little to buy private insurance. It covers immunizations; check-ups; diagnostic testing; prescriptions, dental, vision and hearing services; emergency care; mental health benefits; hospitalization; and substance abuse rehabilitation, among other services. The cost of the insurance depends on a family's income.
Pennsylvania's General Assembly expanded CHIP to cover additional families in 2006, and since then, the legislature has periodically voted to reauthorize CHIP every few years. The last reauthorization was in 2010.
The bill now goes to the governor, where it will become effective immediately with his signature.