Congress just pushed health care fundÂing for some of the youngÂest and poorÂest MinÂneÂsoÂtans to next year's to-do list.
Lawmakers dashed out of town for the holÂiÂdays, leavÂing the fedÂerÂal govÂernÂment with just enÂough monÂey to keep runÂning through mid-JanÂuÂarÂy and to fund the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through March.
The stopÂgap fundÂing bill squeaked through the House and Senate over the proÂtests of Democrats furiÂous that Congress was leavÂing town withÂout fullÂy reauthorizing a proÂgram that proÂvides health covÂerÂage for 9 milÂlion needy chilÂdren nationÂwide, inÂcludÂing more than 100,000 chilÂdren, inÂfants and pregÂnant women in MinÂneÂsoÂta. The CHIP proÂgram lapsed in OcÂtoÂber, and MinÂneÂsoÂta was one of the first states to beÂgin runÂning low on funds.
All three MinÂneÂsoÂta Republican House memÂbers voted for the fundÂing bill. MinÂneÂsoÂta's House and Senate Democrats voted no — inÂcludÂing deÂpartÂing Sen. Al FrankÂen, who cast his fiÂnal vote against it.
MinÂneÂsoÂta has alÂreadÂy beÂgun dipÂping into the genÂerÂal fund to keep its chilÂdren's health serÂvices fundÂed, although the state Department of HuÂman Services will not be able to say exÂactÂly how many state dolÂlars it is spendÂing unÂtil JanÂuÂarÂy. The Centers for MedÂiÂcare and MedÂicÂaid Services also reÂdisÂtribÂutÂed funds to help the state get through the first quarÂter of 2018.
MinÂneÂsoÂta is also waitÂing for Congress to act on a legisÂlaÂtive fix that would spare the state from some $300 milÂlion in fedÂerÂal cuts to low-inÂcome health care. A vote on a biÂparÂtiÂsan fix was pushed to JanÂuÂarÂy.