A group of senators is urging CMS and states to ensure kids can stay continuously enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program.
Led by Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, 15 Senate Democrats sent a letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure on Feb. 22.
Nationwide, 17 states have not implemented continuous coverage for children enrolled in CHIP, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Georgetown University Health Policy Institute.
Federal funds to keep children continuously enrolled in CHIP were included in Congress' year-end funding bill, but these provisions don't kick in until 2024. States can begin redetermining Medicaid beneficiaries' eligibility status in April.
"Unfortunately, as nationwide continuous eligibility for children will not be effective until January 1, 2024, there will be a gap where children in the remaining holdout states could once again be at risk of churning when redeterminations begin," the senators wrote.
"Therefore, we urge you to take steps to work with each of these states to ensure that children across the country have continuous coverage as [continuous eligibility] soon comes to an end and eligibility redeterminations commence and prevent the potential for coverage losses among children across the nation," they continued.
Read the full letter here.