The Bush Administration has let states know they will work with those that want to expand their Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP) to higher income families even if they cannot yet prove they already provide coverage to most poor children.
Last August, CMS issued a directive to state health officials saying that any state wanting to enroll children in the SCHIP from families earning more than 250 percent of the federal poverty level ($44,000 for a family of three in 2008) must prove that it covered 95 percent of children in families earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($35,200 for a family of three in 2008). The directive was scheduled to go into effect on August 17, 2008.
Source: CCH Washington Bureau, Aug. 15, 2008.
For more information on this and related topics, consult the CCH® Medicare and Medicaid Guide.
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