Congress is down to the wire to approve key funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program, and it's likely that they will miss the deadline.
Federal funding for the state portion of the program expires Sept. 30, and if an emergency measure isn't approved, all 50 states are expected to run out of CHIP money during fiscal year 2018. Funding CHIP is not typically a controversial issue for legislators, but a tight window to pass a measure complicated matters.
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A Senate bill that would reauthorize the program for five years has not been scheduled for a vote, according to an article from The Hill. The House will take up a CHIP bill on Oct. 4, according to a second article from the publication, but details are scant as to what it entails.
It was difficult for lawmakers to work on CHIP funding "while Republicans are simultaneously working to upend the entire healthcare system," a Democratic aide told the outlet.
There has been limited discussion on how exactly the government will fund the extension as proposed by the Senate, The Hill reported.
In anticipation of a delay in funding, a number of states began to dial back outreach last month. August is typically a key window for renewals and new signups.
Community health centers are also watching Congress carefully over the next few days, as legislation that would send billions of dollars to those facilities is also set to expire this weekend.