Our View: Congress needs to renew CHIP, health funding

Enough is enough.

Why has Congress delayed refunding basic health insurance and medical service to millions of people in the nation and thousands in Montana?

With focus on issues like the attempt to repeal and replace the health care reform program known as Obamacare, the fact that the Children’s Health Insurance Program that provides low-cost health insurance to children in families that make too much to qualify for Medicaid was hardly even noticed at first.

Something else that hardly anyone has mentioned is the failure to finance the Community Health Center Fund that provides money to community health centers like Chinook’s Sweet Medical Center and Bullhook Community Health Center in Havre. Funding also expired for the National Health Service Corps that helps recruit medical providers to health centers with loan repayment and the Teacher Health Center Graduate Medical Education program that supports doctor training programs.

They all expired Sept. 30, with no attempt by Congress to renew their funding.

If Congress doesn’t act by Dec. 22 — next week — when the temporary funding for federal programs ends, many people in the country and in Montana will lose.

CHIP provides insurance to nearly 45,000 children in Montana, among the 9 million children covered in the nation.

The National Association of Community Health Centers website says the centers provide primary medical care to more than 27 million people nationwide in 2016.

The Montana Primary Care Association said that includes 106,000 Montanans, including 4,636 military veterans. Of the 106,000, 7.9 percent are Native American. More than 80 precent are at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and 55 percent are at or below the poverty level.

Without action, 27,000 Montanans could lose access to primary health care, the association said. That is along with the 45,000 Montana children about to lose their health insurance.

A letter signed by the heads of Montana’s 17 community health centers — including Cindy Smith of Bullhook Community Health Center and Dana Pyette of Sweet Medical Center — to Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines urges them to push for funding before the fiscal cliff for heath centers passes next week.

“All Montana health centers are currently experiencing difficulty in recruiting medical, dental and behavioral health providers and struggling to plan for much-needed expansion of services such as substance use disorder treatment,” the letter says. “ … We urge you in the strongest possible terms not to wait any longer to act. Please act now to extend this critical funding and provide Montana’s health centers and their patients the predictability and stability needed to properly continue caring for our community.”

The association says the uncertainty of funding also is increasing the centers’ difficulties.

The association renewed its call in an email Thursday, asking people to call Tester and Daines and Rep. Greg Gianforte at 1-866-456-3949 — people must call the number three times to talk to all three — and urge them to take action on the health center programs.

People can send an email urging action on the health center programs at http://www.hcadvocacy.org/takeaction.

People can also call Gianforte’s offices at 202-225-3211 for his Washington office or 406-952-1280 for his Great Falls office; Tester at 202-224-2644 for his Washington office or 406-452-9586 or his Great Falls office; and Daines at 202-224-2651 for his Washington office or 406-453-0148 for his Great Falls office.

This is a no-brainer. Congress needs to renew these health care and health insurance programs. Now.