New York Gov. Spitzer Seeks To Expand SCHIP, Create Health Care Program Hotline
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) in his budget for the next fiscal year has proposed increasing eligibility for Child Health Plus, the state's version of SCHIP, to children in families with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level from 250% of the poverty level, the Albany Times Union reports. The budget seeks an additional $37 million for the expansion, which would fund coverage for about 17,000 additional children. Under the expansion, about 70,000 uninsured children would become eligible for the program. Child Health Plus currently provides coverage to 396,000 children at a cost of $663 million annually.
Spitzer's budget also would change the monthly premiums for the program to $15, $35, $55, $75 or $150 per child, based on income. The change is intended to address the large gap between current monthly premiums of $9, $15, $105 or $150 per child. In addition, under the budget plan, families would be required to pay monthly premiums for up to three children regardless of the number of children a family enrolls in the program.
The proposed budget also calls for the creation of a hotline to help families navigate the health care program and would allocate $7 million for community-based outreach (Crowley, Albany Times Union, 1/30).
