Democrats Introduce Legislation to Protect Children's Health Care Coverage in Face of Republican Cuts

Strategic Insights -

Democrat Senators and Representatives have introduced the Keep Kids Covered Act, a bicameral legislation aimed at safeguarding health care coverage for children in Medicaid and CHIP, as Republicans prepare to slash funding to these programs. The legislation, sponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Derek Tran (D-CA), seeks to provide uninterrupted health care coverage to children until the age of six and for 24 months for kids between the ages of 6 and 19. Current law provides 12 months of continued coverage up to age 19.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Keep Kids Covered Act aims to provide continuous health care coverage for kids in Medicaid and CHIP, with uninterrupted coverage until the age of six and for 24 months for kids between the ages of 6 and 19.
  • Republicans' proposed budget bill will cut $1 trillion from Medicaid and CHIP, increase barriers to coverage, and add unnecessary red tape that will lead to people improperly losing their health care.
  • The legislation has received support from various organizations, including Colorado Children's Campaign, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, Colorado Hospital Association, and others.
  • Approximately 1.2 million adults and nearly half a million children in Colorado are on Medicaid, with hundreds of thousands of them potentially losing coverage.
  • Colorado currently has a Medicaid waiver allowing the state to provide continuous enrollment for kids up to age 3, but this policy is set to expire at the end of this year.

Statistics:

  • Estimated $14 billion in federal funding for Medicaid will be cut in Colorado, with rural communities losing $1.9 billion.
  • Approximately 1.2 million adults and nearly half a million children in Colorado are on Medicaid.
  • Hundreds of thousands of people in Colorado are at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage when the state's current waiver expires at the end of this year.
  • The Republican budget bill will cut $1 trillion from Medicaid and CHIP.

Sources:

  • Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), statement on the Keep Kids Covered Act
  • Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL), statement on the Keep Kids Covered Act
  • Representative Derek Tran (D-CA), statement on the Keep Kids Covered Act
  • Colorado Children's Campaign, statement in support of the Keep Kids Covered Act
  • Colorado Hospital Association, statement in support of the Keep Kids Covered Act
  • Colorado Medicaid enrollment statistics (no specific date)
  • Republican budget bill (no specific date)