1. CHIP Children's Health Insurance Program
Success! Now What’s Next?
Nate Checketts
Utah Department of Health

2. Utah’s Program Separate CHIP program
Coverage up to 200% Federal Poverty Level – ($44,100 for a family of four)
Services and copayments benchmarked to private health insurance plan
Quarterly premiums up to $75 per family
40,449 children enrolled (almost 5% of all Utah children)

3. Another Option for Families
Utah’s Premium Partnership for Health Insurance (UPP)
Provides premium assistance for CHIP eligible families that enroll in their employer sponsored insurance
Pays up to $120 per month per child, parents can receive $150 per month subsidy from Medicaid funds
Covers nearly 500 children (over 1% of CHIP eligible kids)
Will coordinate with new exchange policies (1/1/2010)
Expecting federal approval to subsidize COBRA coverage, have requested the ability to subsidize non-group policies

4. Enrollment Efforts Closely coordinated with Medicaid
Same administrative agency
Same eligibility system and workers
Same applications
Covering the Uninsured – Enrollathon with local TV station
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Maximizing Enrollment grant – identify and eliminate administrative barriers
Providing families with options – CHIP vs. UPP

5. CHIP’s Success State flexibility has been key
Individual state programs have been tailored to local conditions and better meet the needs on the ground
In Utah, CHIP has strong public perception (72% positive rating in opinion poll vs. Medicaid’s 54% rating)
Many families have asked to be put on CHIP instead of Medicaid:
Less stigma (CHIP is for “working” families)
Better access to services

6. CHIP Reauthorization Act
Provided states with a significant increase in funding
Created performance bonuses
Expanded express lane options
Instituted new mandates that made CHIP look and act more like Medicaid rather than private insurance
Managed care
Special payments for federally qualified health centers
Mental health parity
Dental services

7. Health Care Reform
Individual requirement for coverage would increase participation in public programs
Expansion of Medicaid is cheap, but comes at a cost – low reimbursement rates often mean low provider participation
Proposals to eliminate CHIP would remove states’ unique programs
National exchange could crowd out state exchanges that are just beginning to explore critical issues
Minimum benefits
Employer participation requirements
Subsidies

8. Other Options for Reform
State option to simplify income standards for Medicaid
State option to move children into the exchange on the state’s own schedule, allow continuation of premium assistance options to ease conversion
Expand CHIP-like product to new groups, not Medicaid
All pregnant women, children, parents, and adults without dependent children on CHIP-like product
Elderly, blind, and disabled on Medicaid/Medicare

9. CHIP Children's Health Insurance Program
Nate Checketts
CHIP Director
Utah Department of Health