Senator-elect Doug Jones, D-Ala., criticized his future colleagues for "playing political football" and not yet renewing the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), AL.com is reporting.
The program is designed to help families who don't qualify for Medicaid, but have difficulty purchasing health insurance, the website noted.
"Funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program has reached a crisis level and my future colleagues must stop playing political football with the health care of our children and act now to ensure Alabama's most vulnerable do not begin losing coverage," Jones said.
"It is absolutely unacceptable for partisan fighting to delay renewing funding for CHIP.
"The state of Alabama announced yesterday that it would freeze enrollment beginning on January 1st and the funding that covers more than 150,000 Alabama children is set to expire not long after.
"As I have said throughout my campaign and again on election night, it's time for our leaders to do what's right and extend funding for the nine million children who receive coverage from CHIP."
Alabama has warned it will halt enrollment in its healthcare program for children.
"Effective January 1, 2018, ALL Kids will no longer enroll children," according to a notice posted on the state's public health website.
"All applications and renewal forms received on or after that date will be processed for Medicaid eligibility or referred to the Health Insurance Marketplace. If Congress does not act soon, coverage for active ALL Kids enrollees will be terminated effective February 1, 2018, regardless of the "Good Thru Date" on their ALL Kids insurance card."
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