WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) applauds House passage of the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act, H.R. 3922. The legislation extends the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for five years and extends Federally Qualified Health Centers for two years, in addition to other critical public health programs. 

"The CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act not only protects vital health care for our children, but also ensures access to medical care will continue to be available in underserved areas, like rural southern and eastern Kentucky," said Congressman Rogers, who voted for the bill. "It also continues important programs, such as Teaching Health Centers (THC) that train primary care physicians at our local colleges and institutions, like the University of Pikeville."

The bill provides a two-year extension for National Health Service Corps, THC Graduate Medical Education, Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, the Youth Empowerment Program and the Personal Responsibility Education Program. 

The CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act avoids a scheduled $5 billion reduction to the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital program, which helps account for higher costs at hospitals with a higher proportion of Medicaid patients.

Additionally, it includes over $1 billion for the Medicaid programs in Puero Rico and the Virgin Islands to help shore up those programs so patients can receive access to care. 

The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.