This marks the fifth and final year of the bonuses, which were authorized under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009.
States could qualify for a bonus by implementing procedures that simplified the Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and renewal processes to improve access for eligible children. Such improvements include eliminating face-to-face interview requirements so applications can be filed online or through the mail and using electronic data-matching to reduce paperwork, according to CMS.
The amount of the bonus each state received is based on the increase in children’s Medicaid enrollment over a specified target.
The 23 states awarded performance bonuses include: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Colorado received more than $58 million, which was the largest bonus given this year.
More Articles on Children and Medicaid:
Fitch: Children’s Hospitals Well-Positioned to Handle Reform
CMS: $32M Available to Enroll Children in Medicaid, CHIP
Holding Children Harmless: How Current Medicaid Policy is Impacting Children’s Hospitals
