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Utah CHIP Eligibility Guidelines

The full name of CHIP is the Children's Health Insurance Program. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides matching funds to states to offer affordable health insurance to families which have children and meet eligibility guidelines. States have considerable leeway in designing their own CHIPs, and requirements can vary depending on where you live. Utah's CHIP is administered by the state Department of Health.

  1. Citizenship and Residency

    • Utah children who need to be covered by CHIP must first be residents of the state of Utah, as well as citizens of the U.S. Children who are legal residents also qualify, even if they are not currently citizens.

    No Other Health Insurance

    • A child cannot be covered by another health insurance plan and still qualify for CHIP in Utah. However, pre-existing health conditions are not considered when determining CHIP eligibility in Utah.

    Age

    • Utah CHIP is offered only to families with minor children. A child must be aged 18 or younger to qualify. Once a child turns 19, he is no longer eligible for the program.

    Income Limits

    • Family income and size is one of the main determiners of CHIP eligibility. The family cannot exceed a monthly or yearly gross income limit and still qualify. As of 2009, the maximum monthly gross income limit in Utah was $3,052 for a family of three, $3,675 for a family of four and $4,299 for a family of five.

    Application

    • Families must submit applications to be considered for CHIP. In Utah, residents can apply either online or by submitting the application to the state Department of Workforce Services in Salt Lake City. The paper application can be downloaded from the Utah Department of Health website and submitted by mail once it is completed. The same application can be used to apply for CHIP, the Primary Care Network for uninsured adults and Medicaid. CHIP applicants must supply information concerning the number of people in the household, valid Social Security numbers, ability to work, assets, income and health conditions. There is no limit on the number of times a family can apply for CHIP. Applicants should receive a notice of either approval or rejection within 30 days. Utah CHIP accepts applications throughout the year.

    Changes in Status

    • If the household experiences any change that may affect CHIP eligibility, its information must be updated. This can include changes in health insurance coverage, marital status, address, phone number, number of children, income or number of people in the household. All new information of this kind should be reported to the family's local CHIP eligibility caseworker.

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