Bargaining CHIP

On January 20, 2018, the US government shut-down due to arguments in Congress about spending, with one of the bargaining chips used being CHIP, or the Children's Health Insurance Program. But the question remains, what is so significant about CHIP?

CHIP, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, is a program for kids whose parents’ income is too high for Medicaid but not enough to pay for private insurance. On September 30, 2017, CHIP stopped being funded by the government, causing many families to worry about their children’s healthcare.

During the debates leading to the government shutdown, Republicans in Congress added CHIP to the new spending bill in the effort to increase support from the Democrats in order to pass the bill. The Democrats continued to be adamant in their press for solutions for DACA and other pressing issues that were neglected to be assessed over the debates.

In all actuality, CHIP is entirely affordable for the government due to Republicans repeal in December of Obamacare’s individual mandate in the tax bill. Obamacare’s individual mandate insured that all citizens must have insurance unless they qualify for an hardship exemption. Since the individual mandate was repealed, the government doesn't have to help pay for people’s health insurance, which leaves money for CHIP.

Eventually, three days after the government shutdown, CHIP was authorized for a six-year funding plan and the government “re-opened”.

Thankfully, Congress was able to vote effectively on a spending bill in order to reopen the government and ensure kids’ health insurance, but what does this all say about America’s government? There could be a time where this situation happens again and when it does, will the Republicans and Democrats be able to come up with an agreement as promptly as they did this time around? Whatever the case, CHIP is an important program that matters to many families, and without it, the nation would have made a grave and costly mistake.