Dive Brief:
- The CMS announced Monday that Arizona has been approved to begin enrollment once again in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), known as KidsCare in Arizona, that had been frozen in the state for several years.
- The freeze ended July 26 and applications are being taken now for children to begin accessing care this coming September 1.
- With Arizona back on the program, all 50 states are now offering CHIP coverage to children through age 18 whose families earn too much to get Medicaid but have no other coverage.
Dive Insight:
The move follows CMS' recent dedication of $32 million to help support kids' enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP, underscoring federal support for lowering uninsurance among children amid the larger push to reduce uninsurance overall under the ACA.
CHIP provides a range of coverage including healthcare, dental care, and services including physical, occupational, and speech and language therapies. According to 2014 research by Georgetown University, Arizona families that had to move from their children from KidsCare to private coverage under the ACA probably paid more for poorer coverage, the Washington Post noted.
Arizona estimates that about 30,000 to 40,000 children in the state will be eligible for the jointly funded federal and state program.
The CMS added that CHIP is not just about health coverage, however, but more broadly about helping children succeed, noting that recent research on Medicaid and CHIP indicates covered children seeing longterm benefits to their health, educational attainment, and earnings as adults.