Last year, thousands of children lost Medicaid coverage in the state of Utah. As a whole, the state of Utah ranked the sixth-highest in rates of disenrollment across the United States. According to a survey1 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that total percentage came out to be 16% of children that lost coverage between the months of March and September of 2023.
However, a new solution seems to be promising. The Healthy U CHIP Program, spearheaded by University of Utah Health, will provide coverage to children that don’t qualify for Medicaid who are under the age of 19 and have been residents of Utah for at least 180 days. Eligibility can also be verified by checking the family income limit chart2. Healthy U CHIP went into effect as of July 1st, 2024. Additionally, thanks to S.B. 2173 Children’s Health Coverage Amendments, there are now expanded eligibility requirements for the CHIP program. This will allow for increased coverage for children in the state of Utah.
The additional amendments in this bill would also allow the Children’s Health Insurance Program to create a waiting list for eligible applicants to the program. It would clearly specify the specific benefits a child would receive if insured by the program, and also creates the Alternative Eligibility Expendable Revenue Fund. This would allow for an increased number of children who meet the income requirements to be covered under this program.
The Healthy U CHIP4 program covers a wide range of healthcare services for children, including exams, doctor visits, prescriptions, dental care, emergency care and hospital stays, immunizations, and even mental health services. Certain services would not require a co-pay, which would allow for low cost preventative care. This program would allow for many lower-income families and their children to finally gain access to crucial healthcare.
1 University of Utah. (2024, July 2). Chip. University of Utah Health Plans | University of Utah Health.
https://uhealthplan.utah.edu/chip
2 Utah Department of Health and Human Services. (2024). FAQs: DHHS Children’s Health Insurance Program. DHHS Childrens Health Insurance Program. https://chip.utah.gov/faqs/
3 Williams , C. (2023). S.B. 217 Children’s Health Coverage Amendments. SB0217.
https://le.utah.gov/~2023/bills/static/SB0217.html
4 University of Utah. (2024a, July 2). Chip. University of Utah Health Plans | University of Utah Health.
https://uhealthplan.utah.edu/chip#documents
