Virginia CHIP Enrollment Jumps After Officials Change Application Process

In the two months since Virginia shortened its CHIP program application from 14 pages to one and made other administrative changes, 2,000 children have enrolled in the program, compared to an average of 300 to 400 applicants per month under the old application process, the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports. Under the previous enrollment process for Family Access to Medical Insurance Security, or FAMIS, families were required to apply at a local Department of Social Services office or mail "lengthy forms." The state now allows parents to apply over the phone. Other program changes include: parents no longer must give information about "absent" parents; the state changed from one year to six months the amount of time that children must be uninsured before they are eligible for coverage; and state officials also have added premiums and copayments, which will take effect later this year (Simpson, Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 10/4). To qualify for coverage, families must earn between 100% and 200% of the federal poverty level (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/31).

More Efforts to Boost Enrollment
Although enrollment has improved -- 34,100 are currently enrolled -- the Pilot reports that the number still falls "far short" of covering all eligible children in the state (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 10/4). In August, the Virginia Health Care Foundation conducted a study that found that of the 82,000 uninsured children in the state, 63,200 are eligible but not enrolled in FAMIS (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/31). To boost enrollment, state health officials have held rallies at shopping centers and kick-off programs at elementary schools. The state has also run advertisements in the print and broadcast media. Linda Nablo, project director of Sign Up Now, which is working with the state on enrollment, said the program changes pose a "challenge and an opportunity" for outreach efforts because workers need to "re-educat[e]" people about the differences between the old and new process. She added, "It's also an opportunity, because there's renewed energy and funding for outreach" (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 10/4). For more information about health policy in Virginia go to State Health Facts Online.