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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001 |
Contact: | CMS Press Office (202) 690-6145 |
"Arizona is taking steps that will make a world of difference for those children who now will get needed health coverage sooner," Secretary Thompson said. "We are committed to giving states the flexibility they need to improve access to health care for those who need it."
The changes approved today will allow the state to reduce the amount of time a child must remain without insurance before becoming eligible for KidsCare from six months to three. For chronically ill children, the changes will eliminate the waiting period entirely.
Arizona also will improve the KidsCare benefit package by removing the 30-day limitations on inpatient and outpatient behavioral health coverage so that the benefit is equal to the Medicaid program. The state also will remove certain limitations on eyeglasses and non-emergency transportation services.
SCHIP is historic, bipartisan legislation enacted in 1997. The SCHIP law appropriates $40 billion over 10 years to help states expand health insurance to children whose families earn too much for traditional Medicaid, yet not enough to afford private insurance. SCHIP gives states three options for devising a plan to cover uninsured children: designing a new children's health insurance program; expanding Medicaid; or a combination of both strategies. HHS must approve any amendment to a state's SCHIP program.
Arizona operates a separate SCHIP plan. The state estimated that 53,685 children were enrolled in KidsCare at the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2001.
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