Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is considering options including tapping the state's rainy day fund to at least temporarily continue a state insurance program for low-income children if Congress does not quickly renew it.
The Republican governor said Tuesday that he has "every confidence" Congress will act. But he hinted the state's $460 million rainy day fund would be one option to bridge a looming funding gap for Arizona's version of the Children's Health Insurance Program.
The program called "KidsCare" in Arizona covers about 23,000 children whose parents earn too much money to qualify for traditional Medicaid but less than 200 percent of the federal poverty limit. The Legislature extended coverage to those children last year.
Congress failed to renew the program that covers 9 million children nationally early this month.
