How Is Pennsylvania CHIP Calculated?

If you live in Pennsylvania and have children who are uninsured, there may be health insurance help available to you. The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is Pennsylvania's health insurance program; it provides coverage to all uninsured children and teens. Eligibility for CHIP is based on non-financial and financial criteria. Applicants must be under 19 years of age, meet citizenship requirements and be residents of Pennsylvania. They must also be uninsured and over the income limits for Medical Assistance. CHIP provides coverage regardless of household income and for many families, the coverage is free. Families with incomes that exceed the free CHIP limits will be assessed a low monthly premium and may be subject to co-payments for some services. Financial eligibility for free- or low-cost CHIP is calculated by determining gross household income, less allowable expenses.

Instructions

• 1

  Gather all of the income information that you need to complete your application. You will need to provide pre-tax income amounts for your entire household. Income includes earning from a job, as well as Social Security, pension, workers' compensation, unemployment, child support and so on. You will also need to provide Social Security numbers and birthdates for all applicants.

• 2

  Provide all allowable expenses. Expenses that can be deducted include cost of day care and any work-related transportation expenses. If you have had private health insurance in the last six months, you will need to provide proof of that as well.

• 3

  Select a provider and submit your completed application. Several major health insurance companies are contracted to provide coverage through CHIP and you may select the one you prefer. Access the online application which walks you through every question (see Resources). You may also download an application and mail it to the address of your selected provider.

• 4

  Wait for notification of your application status. The process of calculating CHIP eligibility can take from four-to-six weeks. In the interim, you are able to call your selected provider to inquire about your pending application.