Obama Administration Awards NC $21,135,087 to Enroll Eligible Children in Health Coverage

New Data Shows 1.2 Million More Children Nationwide Have Health Insurance since the Reauthorization of CHIP in 2009.

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, recently announced that North Carolina has been awarded $21,135,087 to ensure that more children have health coverage, with funding from the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, one of the first pieces of legislation signed into law by President Obama in 2009.

To qualify, states must surpass a specified Medicaid enrollment target
and adopt procedures that improve access to Medicaid and the Children’s
Health Insurance Program (CHIP), making it easier for eligible children
to enroll and retain coverage. North Carolina is one of 23 states to
share more than $296 million in Federal performance bonuses this year.

The bonuses come one week after new data from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention show that the number of children with insurance
increased by 1.2 million since the CHIP reauthorization, an increase due
to greater enrollment in public programs such as Medicaid and CHIP.

“More of North Carolina’s children now have the advantages health
coverage provides,” Sebelius said. “And North Carolina parents now have
the security of knowing their children can get the health care they need
without worrying that an illness could leave them with a lifetime of
medical bills.”

North Carolina is receiving a performance bonus for the first time. The
state has made several program improvements to streamline the children’s
health coverage enrollment process. For example, the same forms are
used to apply for Medicaid or CHIP, and applicants are not required to
appear for a face-to-face interview, which can be especially difficult
for working parents.

In addition, North Carolina guarantees eligible children enrollment for
a full year, ensuring that they get continuous coverage and that needed
care is not disrupted. North Carolina also uses existing electronic
databases to verify family information, reducing the need for families
to submit paperwork when it is time to renew their children’s health
coverage. This makes it easier for eligible children to keep their
coverage for as long as they qualify.

Performance bonuses help offset the costs states incur when they enroll
lower-income children in Medicaid and give states an incentive to
streamline their enrollment and renewal procedures, ensuring long-term
improvements in their children’s health insurance programs.

The 23 states eligible for performance bonuses include: Alabama, Alaska,
Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas,
Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North
Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia,
Washington, and Wisconsin.