- CHIP Funding Deadline Looms as Senators Signal Bipartisan Support Modern Healthcare by Harris Meyer — Republican and Democratic senators agreed Thursday that they need to extend funding for Children's Health Insurance Program, which covers 8.4 million low- and moderate-income children. But there was little or no discussion during the Senate Finance Committee hearing on how to resolve thorny disagreements about details of the program or how long to extend federal funding, which ends Sept. 30. It's unclear whether Senate and House Republican leaders will choose to move renewed CHIP funding as a standalone bill or package it with other measures, such as provisions to stabilize the individual insurance market or extensions of various Medicare programs.
- Congress' Tight Timetable Complicates Renewal of Children's Health Plan Kaiser Health News by Phil Galewitz — A popular federal-state program that provides health coverage to millions of children in lower- and middle-class families is up for renewal Sept. 30. But in a deeply divided Congress facing such pressing concerns as extending the nation's debt ceiling, finding money for the Hurricane Harvey cleanup and keeping the government open, some health advocates fear that the program for children could be in jeopardy or that conservative lawmakers will seek changes to limit the program's reach. "With all that is on Congress' plate, I am very worried that a strong, wildly successful program with strong public support will get lost in the shuffle and force states to begin the process of winding down CHIP," said Bruce Lesley, president of the advocacy group First Focus.