Statement of Eva Stahl, Director of Children’s Health programs at Community Catalyst, regarding legislation filed today by Senator Jay Rockefeller to renew the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

(BOSTON)— “Today, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), a longtime champion of children’s health, took the important step of introducing legislation to continue the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for the next four years. We applaud his dedication to ensuring millions of children continue to receive access to high quality health care coverage through the very successful CHIP program, which will end in 2015 if Congress doesn’t act to renew it.

“Community Catalyst has a deep commitment to children and their health, which is driven by our mission to ensure all Americans, particularly the most vulnerable, have access to high quality, affordable health care. Toward that end, we believe it is imperative that children have access to affordable, age-appropriate benefits and a robust network of children’s health providers. CHIP plays a crucial role alongside Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in providing eight million children and pregnant women with affordable, high-quality health coverage.

“The Rockefeller legislation is an important first step in raising awareness about the need to act on CHIP and move the discussion forward. We are pleased that the bill would continue to improve pediatric quality and reward states that strengthen and increase participation in CHIP. We look forward to studying the details of the legislation and the debate that will follow.”

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About Community Catalyst

Community Catalyst is a national, non-profit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1998 with the belief that affordable quality health care should be accessible to everyone. We work in partnership with national, state and local organizations, policymakers, and philanthropic foundations to ensure consumer interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and the health system are made: in communities, courtrooms, statehouses and on Capitol Hill. For more information, visit www.communitycatalyst.org.