Medicaid can cover adults, children, and women who are pregnant. In Colorado, the program that covers kids is called Child’s Health Plan Plus, or CHP+. The program also can cover women who are over age 19 and who are pregnant.
Medicaid is a public, or government run, form of health insurance. Part of the funding comes from the federal government, and part of the funding comes from a state government. The purpose of the Medicaid program is to provide affordable health insurance to people who are low-income and who cannot afford to buy a health insurance policy from a private company.
All states have a portion of their Medicaid program that covers children. In Colorado, the program that covers kids also covers women who are pregnant. It is called the Child’s Health Plan Plus, or CHP+, and it is public health insurance for low-income children ages 18 and under and pregnant women.
To be eligible for CHP+, a person must be a Colorado resident. The person must be a citizen of the United States, or a permanent legal resident who has had an Alien Registration number for at least 5 years, or is a refugee or “asylee”.
The program is for children who are age eighteen or younger, and for pregnant women who are age 19 and over. Applicants with household income under 250% of the federal poverty level may be eligible. The person must not be eligible for the regular Medicaid program, and must not be covered by another form of health insurance. For most families, CHP+ is free.
There are some situations that will make a person ineligible for CHP+. Applicants who have been covered by an employer health insurance plan during the last three months, where the employer paid more than 50% of the premium cost, are not eligible for CHP+. A person cannot be eligible if he or she is eligible for state employees’ health coverage. Residents of correctional or mental institutions are not eligible either.
CHP+ covers regular checkups, immunizations, prescriptions, hospital services, eye glasses, hearing aids and more. It also covers dental care for children, including exams and cleanings, fillings, routine extractions, and some root canal therapies. It covers up to $600 per year for dental care.
Part of the CHP+ program is called Presumptive Eligibility (PE). This is a way for children and pregnant women to receive the care that they need right away, without having to wait to see if they are eligible for the program.
A woman who is found to be eligible for CHP+ will have coverage that lasts for at least 60 days after her pregnancy ends. Newborns who are born to mothers that are covered by CHP+ will automatically be eligible for coverage through CHP+. Mothers will need to enroll their newborn into the program. Once enrolled, coverage lasts for one full year from the baby’s date of birth.
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