As anticipated, CMS announced the fifth (and final?) round of CHIPRA performance bonuses to states that have been successful in enrolling more eligible children in Medicaid.  Twenty-three states will ring in 2014 with $307 million, thanks to their commitment to streamlined eligibility and enrollment systems that make it easier for families to enroll their children.  Awards ranged from $1 million (North Dakota) to $58 million (Colorado). In the five years of awards, more than $1 billion has been awarded to 27 states.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) created this incentive program to encourage states to make improvements that have been shown to successfully reach more eligible-but-unenrolled children.  These incentives have been an important contributor to the significant progress we’ve made covering kids in recent years.

Read more on today’s announcement here and watch Say Ahh! for more on CHIPRA performance bonuses in 2014…