Preserving LaCHIP:

The lack of affordable, quality health care coverage is a major issue in America today and the state of Louisiana continues to have one of the highest rates of uninsured citizens in the nation. The plight of the uninsured is nationally significant and finding solutions challenges all levels of government. One successful solution in recent years has been the expansion of health coverage for children through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Over half of the children in Louisiana under age 19 are currently enrolled in publicly funded health coverage through either Medicaid or the Louisiana Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as LaCHIP. The importance of preserving these programs and enrollment of eligible children in these programs cannot be underestimated. Health coverage for children is an important link to education and therefore a link to alleviating poverty. It is a profoundly vital safety net to Louisiana’s low and moderate income working families. Since the launch of the LaCHIP Program in November of 1998 and concerted efforts to identify, inform and enroll eligible children in Medicaid, net enrollment has increased by more than 334,000.1 LaCHIP has been the catalyst for significant reforms resulting in the third highest percentage reduction of uninsured children in the nation.2 This achievement could not have been attained without important policy and procedural changes to the enrollment and renewal processes. Examples of programmatic and procedural reforms and simplifications undertaken in Louisiana include the following: → a one page(front and back) application form that is widely distributed → elimination of face-to-face interview requirement → reduced documentation verifications → 12-month continuous eligibility → one page renewal form and more convenient renewal options → toll-free hotline service → Spanish and Vietnamese applications and language assistance → Expanded CommunityCARE program linking children to a “medical home