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They treated my kids’ health insurance like it was a game’: The battle over CHIP
By Robert Samuels
PRATTVILLE, Ala. — The government shutdown was over, and Varina Mead finally felt a little at ease. The single mother, 38, smiled as she watched her two children put down their backpacks, curl up on the red couch and watch “Surf’s Up” while she prepared dinner in the kitchen.
No longer was she considering selling the Mazda to help pay for her children’s prescriptions. No longer did she consider downsizing her home to afford a trip to the doctor.
For months, as Congress held off on reauthorizing the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Mead fretted about how she’d manage if she had to buy private insurance through her nonprofit employer. She received a reprieve when President Trump signed a bill to keep the program running for another six years, part of a deal to end the government shutdown.
“I live a pretty humble lifestyle and spend my days trying to better my community,” she said. “I had no line items to cut.”
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