Here, the Legislature has turned down nearly $40 million in federal CHIP funds available in a four-to-one match, and seems unfazed that Utah has been the only state to close enrollment in the program, leaving 70,000 children uninsured. In fact, here the program has been closed three times more often than it has been open because the Legislature has failed to allocate enough funds. That has led to a 26 percent increase in the number of uninsured children in Utah since 2005.
So, whether Congress reauthorizes CHIP for another five years and how much tax revenue Washington decides to spend on the program do matter. In its 10 years, CHIP has proven to be an efficient, cost-effective way to protect children's health. It should not only be reauthorized but expanded so that states can reach all the children who now qualify and cover more of our at-risk uninsured kids.
Congress has budgeted $50 billion to extend CHIP for five more years, but a bill to reauthorize and fund it must now pass the Senate Finance Committee and move on to the Senate and House. A strong bipartisan bill that the committee can endorse is key to securing the funding.
Fortunately, the CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2007, sponsored by Sens. John D. Rockefeller IV, D-West Virginia, and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, would provide new resources for CHIP and help states do a better job of reaching more qualified children and getting them enrolled.
Utah should be able to count on our own Sen. Orrin Hatch, a senior member of the committee, to play a strong role in getting the reauthorization act passed. An original sponsor of CHIP, Hatch knows the importance of this legislation.
Congress must soon deal with the lack of health coverage for Americans. As fewer and fewer employers provide affordable health-insurance plans, and premiums for private coverage move out of reach for millions, more of us are risking our health and financial security by remaining uninsured.
In the meantime, CHIP can protect children's health, as long as the government - federal and state - provide sufficient funding. To do otherwise puts the most vulnerable among us at risk.
