By Martha Heberlein

Amid all the turmoil surrounding “flexibility” in Medicaid and ongoing state budget crises (not to mention the never-ending budget debate in DC), a move forward for children’s coverage in West Virginia has gone largely unnoticed.

In 2006, the state enacted an expansion from 200% to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) in its CHIP program. In January 2007, the state took its first step in implementation, expanding eligibility to 220% of the FPL; in January 2009, the state increased eligibility to 250% of the FPL. Then late last month, acting Governor Tomblin asked the West Virginia CHIP board to complete the planned expansion by increasing eligibility to 300% of the FPL. In a unanimous decision by the board, the state will complete this five-year process on July 1, 2011. By 2014, over 700 additional uninsured children could be covered as a result.