Texas Confident in Additional Federal Funding to Extend CHIP Through February

AUSTIN — Texas officials got good news Wednesday: They may not have to send out health insurance cancellation letters to nearly half a million kids three days before Christmas.The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Wednesday signaled it’s very likely to give Texas enough additional money to keep its Children’s Health Insurance Program running through February, according to a spokeswoman for the state’s CHIP program.“Based on our conversations with CMS today, we are confident that a redistribution of funds will happen, which will allow the program to continue through February,” said Carrie Williams of the Health and Human Services Commission.The commission’s plan to mail out termination notices on Dec. 22 “would be pushed back a month once we know for certain funding is extended through February,” Williams said in an email.When Congress allowed funding for CHIP to expire on Sept. 30, Texas planned on using its remaining federal funds as long as possible. The money left over would cover the state’s program until Jan. 31. State law requires cancellation notices to be sent out 30 days before coverage ends.  Continue reading...