Two months ago, Congress failed to reauthorize funding for the 20-year-old Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) despite bipartisan support, letting it expire in October.

It provides low-cost health coverage for children under 19 in working families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, affecting nearly 70,000 Virginia children and 1,114 pregnant women.

Nationally, the program covers about 9 million people.

Now, as senators from both Virginia and West Virginia, as well as other lawmakers across the nation,

, Virginia is planning to notify families in case that doesn't happen.

The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) will begin notifying Virginia families with one or more family members who are enrolled in CHIP that they could lose their coverage unless Congress reauthorizes the program soon.

According to the Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe, Virginia will run out of funding for its state version of the program, called FAMIS,, as soon as January 31st, if Congress does not act.

Back in October, WHSV was

that the state's CHIP funds should last through the end of February.

The letters are intended to warn families of the possibility of the funding for their coverage disappearing and inform them about steps they can take now to prepare while they wait for Congress to act.

“It is truly shameful that gridlock and dysfunction in Congress have left nearly 70,000 Virginians who depend on the FAMIS program hanging in limbo,” said Governor McAuliffe. “After delaying these notifications to give Congress as much time to act as possible, Virginia has a responsibility to these families to inform them of the possibility that their coverage could lapse so they can be as prepared as possible to explore alternatives. It is past time for Congress to reauthorize this program so that these Virginians can have the certainty they deserve.”

U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement in response to the DMAS announcement.

“Today is a scary day for a lot of families in Virginia, and it was completely preventable. We asked Senator McConnell multiple times to help us support the 66,000 children and 1,100 pregnant women in Virginia who receive their health care through the CHIP program, but Republican leadership still hasn't brought it forward for a vote. There is a bipartisan bill on the table, and it’s critical that we pass it before Congress leaves for the holidays so we can give some peace of mind to Virginia parents who are worried about whether their children will have health insurance in the new year.”

According to numbers released by Kaine and Warner, about 6,460 children and pregnant women are covered by CHIP in Virginia's 6th Congressional district, covering much of the Shenandoah Valley.

The letter, which you can find in full below, will be mailed on Tuesday. Another one will be sent out if Congress reauthorizes the CHIP program and no further action is necessary, or if they fail to reauthorize it and coverage will be terminated.