RICHMOND – Governor Ralph Northam announced today that the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services will begin notifying Virginians who benefit from the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) program that their coverage will continue uninterrupted now that Congress has reauthorized the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for six years.
“Virginians who were worried that their children’s health care would be disrupted by Congress’ inability to reauthorize CHIP can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Governor Northam. “The families who will receive this notification should not have had to wait this long to get certainty about their children’s’ health care. I hope the difficulty this episode created for many states and families will be a wakeup call to those in Washington who allowed this important program to expire and hang in the balance for so long. I want to thank Senators Warner and Kaine and the members of our congressional delegation who fought hard over the past few months to get this program, which creates opportunity for so many Virginia families, reauthorized.”
Below is the letter that will be sent to families who previously received notification that their coverage was at risk due to congressional inaction:
Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services
January24, 2018
Important Update About FAMIS and FAMIS MOMS
We recently sent you a letter telling you that your FAMIS or FAMIS MOMS coverage might end on January 31, 2018.
We are very happy to tell you that on January 22, Congress approved the funding to renew FAMIS and FAMIS MOMS for a period of six yearsand that there is no longer any possibility that the FAMIS programs will shut down in 2018.
Important Things for You to Know
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