Feds OK plan to provide health insurance to kids

Art Nadler

Friday, Aug. 14, 1998 | 11:04 a.m.

The federal government gave a green light Wednesday to Gov. Bob Miller's program to insure an estimated 17,000 children of low-income families throughout the state.

The Nevada Check-Up program, proposed by Miller 10 months ago, is scheduled to begin Oct. 1. Enrollment forms will be available statewide in September.

Nevada will initially receive $13 million in federal money, which it must match with $7 million in state funds. Christopher Thompson, administrator for the state Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, said 5,400 families have applied so far.

"I consider this a significant achievement in the evolution of health care in Nevada," Miller said in a written statement Wednesday. "Many people have worked diligently over the past few months, so we could hear this good news today. The opportunity to provide health insurance to Nevada children, who would otherwise not have access to proper medical care, is indeed a triumph."

The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) had initially rejected the Nevada Check-Up plan, which was scheduled to begin in July, because it wanted the state to make sure children who qualified for Medicaid benefits be enrolled in that federal program.

Part of the longer Medicaid application required that a family's assets be listed. The state wanted the Nevada Check-Up application to be based solely on a family's financial status and not assets.

The state compromised to win HCFA approval. Thompson said an assets question will be on the shorter Nevada application. If a family qualifies for Medicaid, they will be unenrolled from the state program and sent a Medicaid application.

If a family's children are denied Medicaid health benefits, they will qualify for Nevada Check Up, Thompson said. But they will have had to fill out an application for the state program.

Thompson said of the 5,400 children who have applied, 2,641 were approved and 946 were identified as Medicaid eligible.

Health maintenance organizations will deliver care to Nevada Check-Up patients, Thompson said. So far, three HMOs in Southern Nevada -- Sierra Health Services, Nevada Health Solutions and Amil International -- and one in the Reno area, Hometown Health Plan, have applied to provide services.

More HMOs are expected to join the program once it begins, Thompson said.

Revised Nevada Check-Up applications, with the assets clause, will be available Aug. 24, Thompson said. At that time, more information will be available as to where applications can be obtained. A specific date for enrollment in September also will be announced.

Once Nevada Check Up has officially begun in September, Thompson said he expects applications to be processed and benefits made available within 10 days.

"This is a program that we had to struggle with to make some changes to get federal approval," Thompson said. "But considering the importance of the program, it was worth the struggle. Now we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel."

The cost for a family will be from $10 to $50 per quarter, Thompson said. The number of children in each family won't matter.

Children will qualify for coverage until age 18 in families with incomes at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

For information on the Nevada Check Up program, call 1-800-360-6044.