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ACAP Statement on Introduction of Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 12, 2021
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jeff Van Ness, (202) 204-7515, jvanness@communityplans.net
STATEMENT OF ACAP CEO MARGARET A. MURRAY ON INTRODUCTION OF STABILIZE MEDICAID AND CHIP COVERAGE ACT OF 2021
WASHINGTON— Margaret A. Murray, Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), released the following statement on the introduction of the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2021.
The bill—H.R. 1738 in the House, introduced by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and John Katko (R-N.Y.) and S. 646 in the Senate, introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and original cosponsors Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)—would provide for 12 months’ continuous coverage for everyone who qualifies for Medicaid or CHIP:
“We applaud the leadership of Representatives Dingell and Katko, and Senators Brown, Baldwin, Warren and Whitehouse in reintroducing this important bill.
“The pandemic has laid bare many of the fissures in the way we cover and pay for health care. And in no program are as people as at-risk for falling through the cracks as they are in Medicaid: enrollment in many states is an avalanche of paperwork and red tape.
“Congress has recognized the need for a continuous source of health coverage; as a result, they added a continuous eligibility provision to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act for the duration of the COVID medical emergency.
“But the emergency won’t last forever, and this bill will help pick up the slack by streamlining burdensome bureaucratic hurdles to Medicaid and CHIP enrollees, aligning Medicaid enrollment procedures with those for Medicare, Marketplace, and commercial insurance, and helping Safety Net Health Plans and providers do less paperwork and focus on what they do best: deliver the care and services that help enrollees get and stay healthy.
“We’ve seen elements of this bill pass in the American Rescue Plan Act, which was signed into law this week – a policy in the law will provide 12 months’ continuous coverage through Medicaid and CHIP after someone gives birth. That’s a huge step forward that will not just extend coverage but save lives.”
“ACAP and its member Safety Net Health Plans call on members of the House and Senate to promptly pass H.R. 1738 and S. 646 into law – and shore up coverage for the millions who count on Medicaid and CHIP for coverage for their families.
About ACAP:
ACAP represents 78 health plans, which collectively provide health coverage to more than 20 million people. Safety Net Health Plans serve their members through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Marketplace and other publicly-sponsored health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net.
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