A last-minute change by the state Senate to ban coverage of certain procedures for transgender children threatens the reauthorization of a program that insures more than 176,000 Pennsylvania kids.
The political fight is unusual for the Children's Health Insurance Program, which has historically had bipartisan support in Pennsylvania and unanimous reathorization votes in the past.
The bill passed by the Senate Wednesday would renew the program, which the legislature must reauthorize every several years, but also would bar funds from being used for gender confirmation surgery.
The amended bill passed the Senate with 37-13 vote Wednesday.
"Voting for the reauthorization of CHIP should be the easiest vote we take in this chamber; this program is so popular, and so effective that we should not even need to go through this process every few years," said Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, in a statement. "But here we are, and an amendment that cruelly and blatantly discriminates against transgendered children and young adults has politicized health insurance for every Pennsylvania child." He voted against the bill for that reason, he said.
Sen. Don White, R-Indiana, who sponsored the amendment to the bill, said limited public funds should not be used for gender confirmation surgery.
“I believe that is a position that is strongly endorsed by a vast majority of Pennsylvanians,” he said in a statement.
According to the state Department of Human Services, 34 kids enrolled in CHIP have used physical and/or behavioral health services related to gender identity this year.
CHIP provides health insurance to kids whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid coverage, but whose parents can't afford or obtain other coverage.
The bill now returns to the state House, which is not scheduled to return to Harrisburg until Nov. 13.
In a letter sent to Senate Republican leaders earlier this week, Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said, "This amendment injects politics and ideology into what should be a simple extension of a valuable program." A spokesman for the Governor said he is working to get a "clean" reauthorization of the program to his desk. A reauthorization must be approved by Dec. 31.
Separately from what is happening at the state level, Congress allowed federal funding for CHIP to expire at the end of September. Officials in Pennsylvania have said they have enough funds to continue the program until February, but have still urged Congress to act to fully fund the program.
A study from Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families said at least six states will likely exhaust their funding by the end of the year or early January, threatening children's health insurance coverage.
Kate Giammarise: kgiammarise@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3909 or on Twitter @KateGiammarise.
First Published: October 26, 2017, 9:55 p.m.
