Kentucky Making Changes to Insure More Children

Under a new plan, the state hopes to insure an additional 35,000 kids by 2010. By far the biggest change in store for KCHIP will be the elimination of the face-to-face interview requirement. This requirement, which replaced a mail-in application, was made in 2002 in an effort to cut costs (many enrollees were actually eligible for Medicaid) and eliminate fraud. However, the complexity of the application and the interview requirement were often cited as barriers for enrollment.

KCHIP is Kentucky’s version of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program that covers children in families who make too much for Medicaid, but still make less than 200% of the poverty level. Currently, almost 53,000 children are enrolled in KCHIP and an additional 67,000 are eligible but not enrolled.

Additional changes that will begin in eight weeks include hiring 28 new staff members to process applications, providing increased training for employees at health departments and free clinics and sending postcards to the parents of every newborn, informing them of KCHIP.

(As reported by the Lexington Herald Leader)