Ohio first state to join national push to eliminate unenrolled eligible children

Ohio announced this week plans to become the first state to join an Obama Administration challenge to eliminate within five years the ranks of unisured children who are eligible for government assistance (Source: “Ohio joining push to insure kids,” Columbus Dispatch, March 12, 2010).

Two of three uninsured kids in Ohio , or 77,000 children,  are eligible for public programs but are not enrolled.

To meet the goal eliminated uninsured eligibles, Ohio will adopt three initiatives to make it easier for families to enroll in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and keep them covered longer. The initiatives are:

• Give children 12 months of continuous eligibility.
• Allow entities such as hospitals and community clinics to grant "presumptive eligibility" to children who appear to qualify, allowing them immediate access to care. Providers would be guaranteed payment should the application later be denied.
• Establish "express-lane eligibility" to eliminate much of the paperwork for families already determined to be eligible for food stamps and other government programs.