This is archived content, for historical reference only.

Signed into law on April 16, 2015, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act continues federal funding of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for two more years without structural changes or rollbacks in CHIP or Medicaid.

The new law has significant benefits for California and the 1.6 million children and pregnant women in low- to moderate-income households who are enrolled in CHIP-funded coverage, as well as the hundreds of thousands of California children who remain uninsured.

The new law continues the favorable climate for growth in coverage levels for California’s children:

• Renews federal funding for eight programs for children and pregnant women in low- to moderate-income households
• Extends Express Lane Eligibility (ELE), a streamlined enrollment process
• Funds additional outreach and enrollment efforts
• Reduces California’s share of cost for new enrollees

Congress will revisit the issue of funding for CHIP in 2017.