[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 204 (Thursday, December 14, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S8018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                  Children's Health Insurance Program

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I come to the floor to speak about business 
that is important to Kansas and important to the country but especially 
important to the providers of healthcare for children, the children, 
and their families who receive that coverage and care; that is, the 
Medicaid CHIP program. It was established in 1997.
  I call to the attention of my colleagues the importance of us acting 
in the next several days in regard to the reauthorization extension of 
the CHIP program. It has helped provide coverage to children of low-
income families in my State and those individuals who would otherwise 
be left without any insurance and most likely, in every case, the funds 
necessary to cover healthcare costs for the well-being of those young 
men and women.
  This program is funded through a multiyear authorization that 
requires Congress to take action each time the program reaches the end 
of that authorization. The end of that authorization occurred on 
September 30, now several months ago. While I have been assured in my 
State that there are sufficient funds to get us through the end of the 
year, I am concerned. In fact, the belief is, we may have enough funds 
to pay for our insurance program through March. That certainly is 
probably not the case across the United States, and we need to act 
within a few short days. I hope this is an issue that is addressed, as 
the continuing resolution that funds the Federal Government expires on 
December 22. As we respond to that circumstance, we ought to respond to 
the expiration of the CHIP program that occurred on September 30.
  Waiting to reauthorize that program has already created an 
unnecessary burden, but if we waited any longer, it would create even 
more unnecessary burdens for families of more than 9 million children 
who are currently receiving healthcare through that program.
  Temporary funding measures have kept the program solvent since the 
program expired, but now is the time to act, to provide some certainty 
and make sure the funds continue to be available. In Kansas, it would 
leave about 79,000 children without coverage or other good options.
  Many of our Nation's best children's hospitals serve a great deal of 
patients through that CHIP program. We are fortunate in our area to 
have Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, and those hospitals and 
other providers rely upon the CHIP program to pay their bills as well. 
With all the costs associated with healthcare and with the inability of 
people to pay, the burden then falls upon hospitals and others to 
figure out how they survive. In Kansas, almost every hospital--127 of 
them in our State--continues to hang on by a thread, and some may not 
survive. This is another opportunity for us to strengthen and provide 
certainty that a mechanism will be in place so that when they provide 
care to children of Medicaid families, they will be reimbursed. That 
benefits all of us in our healthcare delivery system and provides more 
stability and more certainty in these challenging times for healthcare 
providers across Kansas.
  I am happy the House of Representatives has passed reauthorization. 
They did their bill. It is now time for the Senate to act. The Finance 
Committee has taken its action, but this bill is still pending on the 
floor of the U.S. Senate. During this Christmas season, this holiday 
time, parents should not have to wonder what they will do in the 
absence of this insurance program that allows their children to receive 
routine care and, in many instances, lifesaving care.
  Continuing to delay action on this bill is not in the best interest 
of the American people. It would be nice, it would be appreciated by 
Americans to see the U.S. Senate work on a program that has broad 
bipartisan support but still, for some reason, can't get it across the 
finish line. That finish line, I suppose, was September 30, but I would 
say that finish line is now the end of the year, and specifically 
December 22, with the CR expiring at that point in time. It is time for 
Congress to take action in that regard.
  My plea on the Senate floor this morning is for the U.S. Senate to 
take legislative action and reauthorize this program, provide 
certainty, and care for our country's children who are, without this 
program, in significant jeopardy of having an absence of healthcare.
  I appreciate the opportunity to address the U.S. Senate.
  I yield back.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.