Updated at 10:55 a.m.
Half the states last year made it easier for children and their parents to enroll in Medicaid by streamlining enrollment and using technology advances to verify citizenship requirements, according to
is the state-federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled that covers about 60 million Americans. Starting in 2014, an additional 16 million Americans will become eligible for Medicaid as a result of the 2010 federal health overhaul.
The survey by the also found that eight states expanded eligibility rules so more children would qualify for Medicaid or聽the Children鈥檚 Health Insurance Program, CHIP (KHN is an editorially-independent program of the foundation). Three of the聽states鈥擨llinois, Texas and Vermont鈥撀燽egan covering lawfully residing immigrant children without first having them wait five years. helps more than聽5 million children from low-income families whose incomes make them ineligible for Medicaid.
鈥淪tates have made significant strides in covering children, but coverage options for low income adults remain limited,鈥� said Samantha Artiga, co-author of the report and associate聽director of the聽commission.聽Only聽 18 states聽provide full Medicaid benefits to parents with incomes at or above the federal poverty level, $18,530 for a family of three, the report said.
The annual 50鈥恠tate survey of聽Medicaid programs, conducted with the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, found only two states reduced eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP. Arizona, which froze enrollment in its CHIP program in 2009,聽before the health law passed, continued the freeze; . Last year, the state also froze enrollment in a temporary Medicaid program for adults without dependent children. Nevada ended a Medicaid expansion program that helped several hundred pregnant women and parents of children on Medicaid.
The federal health law prohibits states from cutting Medicaid and CHIP eligibility.聽 Nevada鈥檚 cut was allowed because it was only a temporary program.
Among the ways states聽made it easier to sign up for Medicaid were using clients鈥� Social Security information to verify citizenship, enhancing online application tools and eliminating a face-to-face interview requirement, the survey found.聽 Several states also began enrolling children in CHIP based on their eligibility for other government assistance programs such as food stamps.
Federal bonus payments helped spur states to simplify Medicaid enrollment and renewal. Last year, the federal government paid $300 million聽to 23 states.