TUCSON – Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) released the following statement today after Arizona’s State Senate voted to reinstate the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), commonly known as KidsCare. The State House voted earlier this year to reinstate the program that provides health coverage to low-income children, which has had enrollment frozen since 2010.
“News that the State Senate has approved – and that Governor Ducey will follow the will of the legislature by signing– a bill that ends the freeze on KidsCare comes as a tremendous relief to so many Arizonans who care about the wellbeing of our kids,” Rep. Grijalva said. “Arizona has held the distinction of being the only state in the union without a CHIP program since 2010. More than 45,000 children have lost coverage since then – a fact that I look forward to seeing reversed. Today’s news means healthier kids and brighter futures unfolding all over our state, and that’s something we all should celebrating. I would like to thank the bipartisan efforts by legislators and tireless advocates who made this a reality.”
Rep. Grijalva has led efforts at the federal level since 2010 to reinstate KidsCare, sending a letter as recently as April 22nd to Senate President Andy Biggs relaying a message from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that federal funding is available to cover KidsCare in its entirety for the next two years.
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