Medi-Cal and CCHIP affects some of the families enrolled in a health plan with subsidies through CoveredCa...

If you are enrolled in a CoveredCa health insurance plan and have minor children, you might want to read this….

As of April 1, 2016 – some children will be deemed Medi-Cal eligible and will be taken off their parent’s health plan and assigned the Medi-Cal kids program called County Children’s Health Initiative Program (CCHIP)… This will affect only those families living in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. So, if the household income is bellow the 322% of the Federal Poverty Line), the children will be enrolled in CCHIP. What this means is that – the adjusted gross income for  family of 3 has to be greater than $64,690 in order to avoid the CCHIP program…

I have a feeling that many will be frustrated and unhappy with this decision…. What this means is that your child will lose the subsidy and forced into this unknown CCHIP program.  

As a CoveredCa Certified Insurance Agent, I have been trying to get more information on this new program in order to relate and better help my clients. However, it seems that no one seems to know more than was issued in the notice bellow:

Covered California notice

2016 County Children’s Health Initiative Program (CCHIP) Quick Guide for Certified Enrollers

Background

County Children’s Health Initiative Program (CCHIP) is an existing health insurance program that offers affordable and comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance for children age 0-19 who qualify. CCHIP is only available in three counties: San Mateo, San Francisco, and Santa Clara.

Children eligible for CCHIP are not eligible for premium assistance with a Covered California plan and must enroll in the CCHIP program in their county or choose to enroll in an unsubsidized Covered California plan. Eligibility into the CCHIP program is 266-322 Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

During the week of February 15, DHCS sent a notice to existing Covered California consumers who have been deemed eligible for CCHIP.

Consumers should contact CCHIP to confirm their wish to either participate in the program or to opt for a Covered California plan without premium assistance. The non-eligible CCHIP Covered California consumers will remain enrolled in their Covered California plan with their current premium assistance amount.

Talking Points

·         Advise impacted consumers their children are now eligible for CCHIP

·         The child’s Covered California plan with premium assistance will end on March 31

·         The child will be enrolled in an unsubsidized Covered California plan starting on April 1, unless the consumer selects CCHIP coverage

·         Advise the consumer to contact the CCHIP program for additional information on program benefits or to enroll in CCHIP

If a consumer does not want to call CCHIP, they can call the Covered California Service Center after March 15, after our system has implemented CCHIP and we have an up-to-date record of eligibility and enrollment.

CCHP Contact Information:

San Francisco County: San Francisco Health Kids

(415) 615-5700, P.O. Box 194327, San Francisco, CA 94119

In-Person Assistance:

Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 5:30 pm

7 Spring Street, San Francisco, CA 94104

San Mateo County: San Mateo County Health Coverage Unit

Children’s Health Initiative

(650) 616-2002, 801 Gateway Blvd., Suite 100, South San Francisco, CA 94080,

Santa Clara County: Children’s Health Initiative

(888) 244-5222, (408) 808-6180, 770 S Bascom Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128,

This is going to be a mess, families, doctors and agents are being penalized for nothing…. Families will lose subsides, agents will lose already slammed commissions, doctors might lose some patients and drop out of CCHIP…. and someone will be making the big bucks…

It sounds like the smart decision for some families would be to drop out of CCHIP and enroll the children in an unsubsidized health plan outside of CoveredCA.

Implementing this outside the open enrollment is possible, since the child is losing the premium assistance, that is a qualifying event for enrollment in a health plan not offered through Covered California. 

Feel free to contact me for more information, I am always available to help! http://www.SFCheapInsurance.com 

Here is the federal poverty level table for 2016: