H. B. No. 1469: Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); reduce eligibility waiting period and conduct outreach campaign.

AMEND by deleting all the underlined language on lines 26 through 29 and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

"A person who is without insurance coverage at the time of application for the program and who meets the other eligibility criteria in the plan shall be eligible to receive covered benefits under the program, if federal approval is obtained to allow eligibility with no waiting period of being without insurance coverage. If federal approval is not obtained for the preceding provision, the Division of Medicaid shall seek federal approval to allow eligibility after the shortest waiting period of being without insurance coverage for which approval can be obtained. After federal approval is obtained to allow eligibility after a certain waiting period of being without insurance coverage, a person who has been without insurance coverage for the approved waiting period and who meets the other eligibility criteria in the plan shall be eligible to receive covered benefits under the program. If the plan includes any waiting period of being without insurance coverage before eligibility, the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board shall adopt regulations to provide exceptions to the waiting period for families who have lost insurance coverage for good cause or through no fault of their own."

AMEND FURTHER the title by deleting lines 2 through 5 and the word "PROGRAM;" on line 6 and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

"TO REVISE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA UNDER THE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP) TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO IS WITHOUT INSURANCE COVERAGE AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION FOR THE PROGRAM AND WHO MEETS THE OTHER ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE COVERED BENEFITS UNDER THE PROGRAM, SUBJECT TO FEDERAL APPROVAL; TO PROVIDE THAT IF FEDERAL APPROVAL IS NOT OBTAINED FOR THE PRECEDING PROVISION, THE DIVISION OF MEDICAID SHALL SEEK FEDERAL APPROVAL TO ALLOW ELIGIBILITY AFTER THE SHORTEST WAITING PERIOD OF BEING WITHOUT INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR WHICH APPROVAL CAN BE OBTAINED; TO PROVIDE THAT IF THE CHIP PLAN INCLUDES ANY WAITING PERIOD OF BEING WITHOUT INSURANCE COVERAGE BEFORE ELIGIBILITY, THE STATE AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES HEALTH INSURANCE MANAGEMENT BOARD SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS TO THE WAITING PERIOD FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOST INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR GOOD CAUSE OR THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN;"