Health Care

Children's Health Coverage

Ten years ago, Senator Rockefeller helped launch one of the most important children's initiatives of the last half-century, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Over the last decade, CHIP has given millions of children nationwide - including tens of thousands in West Virginia - the chance to start out healthy in life. And while significant progress in reducing the number of uninsured children has been made. Senator Rockefeller continues to fight to expand and improve this critical children's program.

Senator Rockefeller believes that by substantially increasing the federal investment in CHIP over the next five years, coverage can be maintained for the more than 6 million kids currently enrolled in the program - while also providing CHIP with the resources it needs to cover as many as 4 million uninsured children.

As part of legislation that he wrote to improve CHIP, Rockefeller proposed expanded access to both dentists and mental health professionals for children; and, allowing states to coordinate enrollment in WIC, school lunch programs and Medicaid to target and enroll more eligible children. To learn more about Rockefeller's original proposal for CHIP click here.

Another key Rockefeller-authored initiative is the MediKids program. While not yet passed by Congress, MediKids would serve as a first step toward comprehensive health coverage for children from birth through college. It would provide the early care all children need in order to become healthy, productive adults. Senator Rockefeller will continue to advocate for this legislation so that every child in West Virginia and across the country can have access to health care.