Wisconsin's Weekend Morning News
How Families Can Obtain Medicaid Assistance for Kids
Well, here we are at the beginning of the school year, and we're all concerned about how ready our kids are. But are you aware that unless they're in great medical health, they may not do well in school. And joining us is Jessica Lee. She is the acting chief medical officer for the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. And, Dr., let me ask you this to start out. Let's define what Medicaid and CHIP are and what types of services are covered under these programs. - This is a great way to start Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program or CHIP offer free or low-cost health coverage for eligible children, teens, and adults. So you can see why as children are heading back to school, we want to remind people children don't have health insurance that it may be available through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Medicaid and CHIP for children and teens up to age 19 have really comprehensive offerings from behavioral health services to doctors visits and hospital visits, prescriptions, immunizations, dental visits, eye exams, and more. - All right, so who's eligible? What kids are eligible for these programs? - Each state has a Medicaid and CHIP program which provides health coverage for children up to age 19 and families with low and moderate incomes. In Wisconsin, it's called Badger Care Plus. Eligibility generally depends on how many people are in a household and household income. And it varies by state. But for example, in most states, children up to age 19 with a family income of up to $80,000 per year for a family of four may qualify for Medicaid and CHIP. But you can actually find out more information for your specific state at our website, ensurekidsnow.gov or by calling 1-877-KIDS-NOW, you can find out the specific information for your state on eligibility and enrollment. - I think a lot of people are gonna be surprised when you said that families of four could earn as much as $80,000 and still qualify for these programs. - Medicaid and CHIP varies by state, but yes, it's providing health coverage for children up to age 19 and families with low and moderate incomes. - Is there an enrollment period for the programs? - The enrollment period is all the time and that you can enroll at any time. There's no specific time when you need to enroll. It's open all year round. And we encourage people to enroll now as soon as possible. So the coverage is there for you when you need it in addition to setting our children up to be successful when they go back to school. - And that's a good question, Doctor. How important is it for a child to also have good medical health if they're going to do well in school? - Conceting health is really just a foundational aspect of setting up our children for success. And we know that having health insurance is actually critical for children to thrive both in school and in life. We know that children with health coverage are less likely to miss school due to illness. And that means fewer missed work days for parents as well. They're also more likely to complete high school and graduate college. So on top of kind of setting kids up and meeting fewer missed days of school fewer missed days of work, parents can also rest easier knowing that medical bills from teen or emergency care won't jeopardize their financial future. - Okay, so once a kid is covered by Medicaid or CHIP, what do parents have to do to maintain that coverage? - So in general, renewal has happened about once a year. And what's really important is making sure that your address is up-to-date with the state Medicaid office. And that when you receive a renewal form, you fill it out right away to avoid any gas and coverage. But again, families can apply the Medicaid and CHIP at any time of the year, meaning that enrollment is always open. And you can find more information on our website, insurekidsnow.gov, or by calling 1-877-kids now. - All right, Jessica Lee, Acting Chief Medical Officer for the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. Thanks so much for joining us today. - Thank you so much for having me.