Government
Bush administration suggests more flexible SCHIP limits
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 26, 2008
A directive issued last year limiting states' ability to enroll children from families earning more than 250% of the federal poverty limit in the State Children's Health Insurance Program is not as rigid as states initially feared, according to a May 7 letter from Herb B. Kuhn, deputy administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. For example, states have the opportunity to offer their own strategies to prevent these families from dropping their children's private health coverage in favor of SCHIP, he wrote to state Medicaid directors.
The directive, scheduled to take effect on Aug. 17, would not affect existing SCHIP enrollees in families above 250% of the poverty level. "These children can be grandfathered into the state's current coverage and cost-sharing levels, as long as they remain continuously enrolled in the program," Kuhn said.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/05/26/gvbf0526.htm.
