Congress' failure to meet the Sept. 30 deadline for the renewal of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has resulted in dire consequences for the residents of Flint, Michigan. Funding for the program, which provides health insurance to poor children, has been delayed by the political stalemate surrounding the state of healthcare in the country. Despite the passage of bills reauthorizing CHIP, funding for the program has yet to be identified. In the meantime, as a direct consequence of this gridlock, the replacement of pipes in Flint could be halted.

In the wake of the Flint water crisis, the federal government entered into a five-year special contract with the state of Michigan allowing Flint families to apply for funded pipe assessments and water quality testing. Through the CHIP program, residents with children who qualified for the program were eligible for pipe replacement and other benefits to help offset the devastating health effects of prolonged exposure to the lead-contaminated water. As the federal government continues to dilly dally in refunding the CHIP program, it's only a matter of time before Flint administrators will have to defund the measures put in place to keep residents safe.

In an interview with City Lab, retired Brigadier General Michael McDaniel said, “The loss [of funding] is going to be a huge issue.” McDaniel, who heads the Flint Action and Sustainability Team (FAST Start) tasked with finding and replacing the service lines in Flint went on to say, “I know state funds aren’t enough to do all that we need to do next year."

Since the implementation of CHIP, FAST Start has replaced pipes in more than 6,000 out of an estimated 29,100 homes. McDaniel reported that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) told him CHIP funds for Flint will be available through April 2018.

“You just look at this and shake your head,” said McDaniel. “When what you’ve done for a living is planning, and you see something like [the holdup in CHIP funding], you say ‘Oh God.’ No matter what your political ideology is, it’s just stupid. We’re being so shortsighted.”

To take action in support of CHIP funding, click here to contact your elected official.