From Deseret News archives:

Huntsman seeking extension for CHIP

Published: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 12:18 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. urged Congress Tuesday to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program to help decrease the growing number of Utah children without health insurance.

The program, which provides health insurance to nearly 27,000 Utah children in low-income families, will expire this year unless Congress renews it, said David Sundwall, executive director of the Utah Department of Health.

The percentage of uninsured Utah children is growing, probably because more small businesses are unable to afford health insurance for their employees and Utah's average family size is higher than average, Sundwall said. In Utah, 11.9 percent of the total population is uninsured.

"For a state like Utah, (CHIP) is so critical," Sundwall said.

Huntsman is especially interested in CHIP because it plays a crucial role in his goal to make sure every Utahn has health insurance, Sundwall said.

Children whose parents earn up to 200 percent of the poverty level but who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid are eligible for CHIP coverage.

Story continues below
According to the Utah Department of Health, about 45,200 children eligible for CHIP coverage are uninsured. The Utah Legislature approved $4.2 million in new funds for CHIP at this year's legislative session, enough to cover half of all eligible children who are uninsured. The federal government matches and exceeds state funds for the program, he said.

Sundwall said CHIP is a popular program and Congress will probably renew it. A recent poll by Dan Jones & Associates showed 88 percent of Utahns support the program, he said.

A Senate hearing on the program was scheduled for today, and the House will also discuss it soon, he said.

More than 110,000 Utah children have received health insurance through CHIP during the decade since it was created.


E-mail: dfelix@desnews.com

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

Aggies edge Weber State

I keep reading comments about WSU's poor shooting performance from beyond the...

Losing to Air Force will be the end for you Yner fans! Funny that a freshmen...

JD played PC and beat them with an overwhelming defense and an unstopable...

Huh. That's funny. I didn't think Keith, Rachael, Chris, or Bill broadcast...

Hall ties Detmer's record for wins

That great performance yesterday? That's funny.

Why the new picture and the change in the headline? The Dwseret News botched...

Letters: Don Gale wrote truth

My introduction to Talk Radio in Utah was Barberi and his nasty intolerant...

BYU happy to escape with victory

I don't understand what the Zoob fans are yapping at Utah about. BYU was...

@Albert Gay men have no hatred of women that is a total fabrication. Women...

Utah leads the nation in anti-depressant use, white collar fraud, porn...

Advertisements
Advertisement