Health officials are temporarily making it easier for children in Texas to access safety-net insurance in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and its devastating flooding.
CMS emergency provisions approved Sept. 1 will allow Texas officials to lift eligibility and cost-sharing requirements for kids enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program who live in areas damaged by the storm. The changes will give families leeway through continued access to CHIP coverage beyond their renewal period, a simplified CHIP application process allowing fewer steps for verification, and exempted enrollment fees and care copays, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Source: Harvey Fails to Swamp Children’s Health Insurance Benefits / Bloomberg BNA