On Friday, HHS released $6 billion in new funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program to help expand health coverage to an additional four million children this year, HealthLeaders Media reports.
The funds were included in the CHIP reauthorization bill that President Obama signed into law in February.
HHS already has released more than $1 billion of the measure's funds and plans to release the remaining amount by the end of September.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said, "We are taking an important step to provide quality, affordable health care to millions of children," adding that through the additional funds "states and territories will receive additional funds to provide health insurance to 11 million children, including four million who were previously uninsured. Parents now have more help if their children fall ill" (Commins, HealthLeaders Media, 6/19).