States Ease Enrollment For Childrens Health Insurance Program

Given new flexibility under CHIPRA, states have adopted several new strategies to ease enrollment.

Since CHIPRA was enacted on February 4, 2009, states have sought CMS approval for the following program improvements:

• 17 states have submitted plans to CMS to streamline their enrollment and renewal processes;

• Three of these states have received approval for the new Express Lane Eligibility option in Medicaid and/or CHIP. Express Lane eligibility allows states to enroll children into one of the programs based on information obtained through other state programs and data bases;

• 15 states have expanded income eligibility levels in their CHIP and/or Medicaid programs;

• 19 states have lifted the five-year waiting period for eligible children and/or pregnant women who are lawfully residing in the United States; and,

• All 50 states set up data agreements with the Social Security Administration to verify citizenship for purposes of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility.

Funding enhancements have led all but two states to covering children in families earning at least 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or $48,100 for a family of four in 2009.

Families at this income level contribute to the cost of coverage through monthly premiums and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Enhanced Emphasis on Quality of Care

• Promotion of the use of Health Information Technology for the delivery of care for children covered by Medicaid/CHIP;

• Evaluation of provider-based models that improve the delivery of Medicaid/CHIP children’s health care services;

• Demonstration of the impact of the model Electronic Health Records format for children on improving pediatric health, and pediatric health care quality, as well as reducing health care costs.

Proposals were due to CMS on January 8, 2010 and CMS is in the process of reviewing 24 applications involving 31 states (several of the applications were multi-state proposals).

Ten demonstration awards are scheduled to be announced on February 22, 2010. The full report and more information about CHIP can be found at www.insurekidsnow.gov.

Topics: affordable health insurance, children, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, CHIP, CHIPRA, citizenship, CMS, cost of coverage, data, data agreement, Department of Agriculture, Economy, electronic health records, enrollment, expanded income eligibility, Express Lane Eligibility, federal poverty level, Governance, government, health care, Health Care, Health Information Technology, health insurance, improvements, low income, Medicaid, monitor, monthly premiums, news, out of pocket expenses, pediatric health, poverty level, pregnant women, reducing health care costs, Social Security Administration, streamline, technology, U.S., United States, USDA, waiting period

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