Proposed Eligibility Rule Simplifies Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment Process for Children

In a continuing effort to strengthen Medicaid and access to affordable, quality health coverage, the Biden Administration has proposed a series of eligibility rule changes. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeks to streamline application and enrollment, improve retention rates, remove barriers specific to CHIP, and enhance program integrity. Eliminates enrollment barriers and benefit caps […]

CHIP Helped My Family Through a Tough Time

We often hear “it takes a village to raise a child” and that adage certainly holds true for my childhood. I am the third oldest in a large family. My parents worked different shifts so one of them could usually be home with us while my grandparents filled in the gaps. Additionally, my two older […]

CMS Reminds States EPSDT Requirement Includes Behavioral Health, Offers Specific Strategies

Medicaid’s pediatric benefit, Early and Periodic Screening Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT), is getting more attention from federal officials. As part of its child health-focused release yesterday, CMS released a new Informational Bulletin reiterating EPSDT’s requirement to cover screenings and medically necessary treatment for children’s behavioral health, mental health and substance use disorders. The timing is […]

Children’s Health and Well-Being Get Much Needed Attention from CMS this Week

CMS made three big announcements yesterday, drawing attention to ways Medicaid and CHIP can support children’s health and well-being. The first two announcements are sub-regulatory guidance documents, essentially bringing together all of the existing state options and best practices on behavioral health and school-based health. Sub-regulatory guidance doesn’t include new policy, but rather aims to […]