Utah Children's Health Insurance Program gets no federal bonus money

SALT LAKE CITY — The number of uninsured children across the country has dropped, even in a time of economic recession, as more are being enrolled in federally funded, state-managed Children's Health Insurance Programs.

However, in Utah, the number enrolled in CHIP has remained much the same over the recent years, even declining since 2009.

Due to changes in family status, some children have fallen off of CHIP coverage and been picked up by Medicaid, which has lower income guidelines and asset limits, according to Utah CHIP spokeswoman Kolbi Young. Federal law dictates that every applicant is first screened for Medicaid and then for CHIP, which also changes CHIP's numbers.

Since 2009, though, the number of CHIP-enrolled children in Utah has fallen from 41,015, to 38,553 in 2011.

And while some states have witnessed a similar transition, much of the rest of the country has experienced increases in CHIP enrollment — some as great as 27 percent, according to the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Overall, the country has been able to enroll an additional 1.3 million CHIP-eligible children since 2009.

"I think we'd all agree that there's nothing more important to our future than the health of our children and access to health insurance is one of the keys to starting our children on a path to a healthy life," Marilyn Tavenner, acting administrator for CMS, said during a nationwide conference call Wednesday.

Tavenner announced nearly $300 million in CMS grant money being divvied out to 23 states, ranging from $1.3 million to CHIP in Idaho, to $28.3 million in Maryland.

Utah, however, was absent from the list — for the second year in a row.

The state was unable to prepare an application to receive a CHIP bonus again this year, as "system programming takes time and changing the system costs money," Young said.

So far, the in-person interviews have been eliminated from the state's CHIP enrollment process, the same form can now be used to apply for Medicaid and for CHIP and the administrative renewal process has been simplified. The state still needs to identify at least two more program simplification features recommended by CMS before it can apply for the bonus.

The program must also increase the number of enrolled Medicaid and CHIP participants.

Young said they have until April 1 to be ready for next year's application process and Utah's CHIP could stand to receive $17 million in 2012 and in 2013, the last two years the CHIP Reauthorization Act will be in effect.

Last year, 15 states earned a total of $206 million in CHIPRA bonuses.

"We have identified barriers that clients are encountering upon enrollment, and we are working to eliminate those," Young said. Legislative approval, she said, is required before reducing barriers for more children to receive continuous Medicaid coverage, as they must currently prove to be eligible a minimum of 12 months.

"It obviously costs the state more to enroll additional kids, so for Utah, it is important to ensure those enrolled are indeed eligible," Young said.

Nationally, nearly 85 percent of eligible children are enrolled in CHIP or Medicaid, whereas only 76.1 percent of eligible children are enrolled in Utah, according to a recent Urban Institute report posted online, at www.insurekidsnow.gov.

"No parent in America should have to think twice about taking their child to a doctor's appointment or filling a prescription for their child because the cost is too high," Tavenner said. "No child should have to miss school or other activities because they're not getting the care to help them stay healthy."

Email:wleonard@ksl.com

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