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With our partner, the Connecticut Health Foundation, Connecticut Public Radio's Health Equity and Access Project strives to create awareness about Health Access and advance Health Equity among Connecticut residents, businesses, the educational community, the health care sector, community leaders, and policymakers.As the only statewide public radio station, Connecticut Public Radio has the flexibility and resources to educate Connecticut residents about health disparities through in-depth reporting, hour-long programs, and community events.Visit the Connecticut Health Foundation at cthealth.org.

Status Of Insurance Program For Children Remains In Question

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Health insurance for thousands of children in Connecticut could soon disappear.

That’s because Congress failed to meet a September 30th deadline to renew funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP.

Each year, CHIP provides tens of millions of dollars in health care money to children and teenagers in low-to-moderate-income Connecticut families.

Karen Siegel, a health policy fellow from Connecticut Voices for Children, said there are bills in both the House and Senate to reauthorize CHIP funding. But a lot is still up in the air.

“It really is a bipartisan program and it has been from its inception. So there was a lot of hope that this would be quickly resolved,” Siegel said. “The fact that we have missed the deadline and are still uncertain about when a bill might pass and what it would look like, I think, is real cause for concern.”

In a statement, the state Department of Social Services said if Congress does not extend CHIP funding, the state has enough money to continue the program only into January or February of next year.

Connecticut’s CHIP Program, known as HUSKY B, is currently covering over 17,000 children and teenagers in the state.

Funding for WNPR's Health Equity and Access Project is provided by the Connecticut Health Foundation.

Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. He can be reached at pskahill@ctpublic.org.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.