news
Statement of ACAP CEO Margaret A. Murray on H.R. 5434, The Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 14, 2023
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jeff Van Ness, 202-204-7515; jvanness@communityplans.net
STATEMENT OF ACAP CEO MARGARET A. MURRAY ON H.R. 5434, THE STABILIZE MEDICAID AND CHIP COVERAGE ACT OF 2023
WASHINGTON—Margaret A. Murray, CEO of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), issued the following statement on The Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act of 2023, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives as H.R. 5434 by Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), which would extend 12-month enrollment periods in Medicaid and CHIP to all who qualify for the program.
“ACAP thanks Representative Dingell and Ranking Member Pallone for their leadership in introducing this bill today. The pandemic brought to the surface the value of consistent health coverage. Cutting through red tape and allowing for 12-month enrollment periods will promote more continuous care, and better relationships between providers and patients in the service of better health.
“It will also blunt perverse disincentives for people to find work, find more work, or find better-paying work—in some states, small changes in income can trigger a redetermination, which can lead to people losing their health coverage.
“The Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act would enact twelve-month eligibility in Medicaid, just like Medicare Marketplace coverage. This would go a long way toward helping people with low incomes make decisions, preserve scarce resources for accurate redeterminations, and cut through red tape in a wholesale way.
“ACAP and its member Safety Net Health Plans are grateful for the leadership of Rep. Dingell and Ranking Member Pallone for their support of this bill, as well as other Representatives on both sides of the aisle who have supported this bill in previous Congresses.
“We urge the House to pass the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Act of 2023 and send it to the Senate.”
About ACAP
ACAP represents 80 health plans, which collectively provide health coverage to more than 25 million people. Safety Net Health Plans serve their members through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Marketplace and other publicly sponsored health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net.