Good news!

Over the holidays, Congress finally passed an important children's health care policy that we and many others have been pushing for years.

As part of the bipartisan year-end funding bill signed by the President, Texas and other states will be required to let children keep their Medicaid health insurance for a full year at a time.

That means more kids will now be able to go to their check ups, keep taking their medications, attend their mental health appointments, or get other health care services they need. In the past, many Texas children have missed these opportunities because of bureaucratic barriers to renewing their Medicaid health insurance or because their parents' picked up a few extra shifts at work one month, momentarily raising their family income above the threshold for Medicaid.

The new policy passed by Congress, which has been in place for years for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in Texas, will take effect one year from now.

This victory is a reminder that — even as we endure setbacks, frustrations, and often discouraging news from our policymakers — progress is possible if we keep at it and stick together.

The bill also included a number of other important steps forward for children and families, including an increase in child care funding, reauthorization of voluntary home visiting programs to support new parents, and stronger maternal health policies. In addition, the bill sets April 1st as the last day for the pandemic "Public Health Emergency" rule that has allowed children and others to remain enrolled in Medicaid insurance without renewing their coverage.

We appreciate everyone in Texas and across the country who fought to make this victory possible. We're looking forward to working with you to accomplish more for Texas kids throughout 2023!