Letters warn families they may lose CHIP children’s health insurance

State officials in Virginia started warning families this week that the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is about to run out of money.It’s one of several states that have given notice or are preparing to tell families that funding for the program has ended and Congress has failed to renew it.For many families, that could mean an end to their health care unless they find someone to offer free care to their kids, according to Linda Nablo, chief deputy director at Virginia's Department of Medical Assistance Services.

State officials in Virginia started warning families this week that the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is about to run out of money.It’s one of several states that have given notice or are preparing to tell families that funding for the program has ended and Congress has failed to renew it.For many families, that could mean an end to their health care unless they find someone to offer free care to their kids, according to Linda Nablo, chief deputy director at Virginia's Department of Medical Assistance Services.Jimmy“I would say most families, their children will go without insurance,” Nablo said.CHIP is a joint state-federal health insurance plan for low-income kids who don’t have health insurance any other way. Funding varies from state to state but most of the money comes from the federal government.Federal funding for the program ran out in September and Congress has failed to renew it. The continuing resolution passed last week keeps the federal government open for business until December 22 and it included a patch for CHIP, but that was just to move money from states that have not yet run out of cash to states whose CHIP programs were about to go broke.