Idaho Lawmakers Vote to Eliminate Funding for CHIP Outreach Efforts

Funding for Idaho's CHIP outreach efforts would be reduced to zero under legislation passed March 28 by the Legislature's joint budget committee and the full Senate, the Spokane Spokesman-Review reports. Since 1999, the state has spent about $633,300 on outreach efforts, including advertisements, brochures, Spanish-language materials and coordinated efforts with schools. In addition, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is airing television advertisements promoting CHIP in the Boise market. Lawmakers voted to cut the funding to "save money," the Spokesman-Review reports. In addition, lawmakers said CHIP outreach efforts were contributing to a rise in the number of children identified as Medicaid-eligible and, thus increased Medicaid enrollment. Lawmakers said that increased Medicaid enrollment is "something they want stopped," the Spokesman-Review reports. State Sen. Stan Hawkins (R), who sponsored the bill, said that enrollment efforts had been "too successful" and that employers were dropping coverage and "encouraging [employees] to participate in CHIP." Rep. Don Pischner (R), suggested that rather than spend the money on outreach, it "might be better to spend [the] money on the program itself." Roger Sherman, program director for United Vision for Idaho, a citizen group, criticized lawmakers' action and their desire to reduce Medicaid enrollment, saying, "That outreach is the best thing [the program has] done in years. What it means is that people have access to programs that have been available to them for 12 or 15 years, but they didn't know it. Cutting it goes back to the policy of hiding the ball." The bill requires outreach efforts for the CHIP program and other state-run programs to meet "the minimum level allowed by federal law." However, according to Robert Reed, Medicaid branch chief for HCFA's Seattle office, federal law does not specifically set minimum levels. However, if Idaho does cut CHIP program outreach efforts, the state must submit an amended outreach plan to the federal government, which might not approve it, the Spokesman-Review reports. The measure now moves to the full House (Russell, Spokane Spokesman-Review, 3/29).