About Idaho Children's Health Insurance Programs

Idaho offers health insurance for children without coverage through the Idaho Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Coverage is provided to children who meet certain requirements. Any parent living in Idaho can apply for the program on behalf of her child.

Definition

• CHIP is a Medicaid program that provides health insurance to children. The plan is provided at little or no cost to families who meet income requirements. The plan pays for services such as well care check-ups, immunizations, prescriptions, labs and x-rays. Emergency room and hospitalizations are also covered.

Qualifications

• To be eligible for coverage, a family must meet certain requirements. The family must reside in Idaho. Children must be under the age of 19 and be United States citizens or legal residents. Coverage is available to dependent children living in your home. The qualifications and health needs determine the plan for which children are eligible.

Plans

• Three types of plans are available to provide health care to kids. The first plan is the Medicaid Basic Plan for children who do not have special needs. The cost of the plan each month is $10 or $15 and depends on the family's income. The second plan is the Medicaid Enhanced Plan and is only available to children with special health circumstances or disabilities. The last plan is the Children's Access Card, which helps parents pay the premiums for private insurance coverage. This is open to families who are in a higher income bracket. The program will pay up to $100 a month per child and is limited to $300 per family.

Application

• To apply for health insurance, the Application for Assistance must be completed. In addition to this form, an applicant must include proof of citizenship and identity, a social security number, residency documents and information on other health insurance coverage. To show proof of income, paycheck stubs for the past 30 days or federal income tax records must be provided. Documents used to prove citizenship must be original, certified documents.

Changes

• It is required that those receiving health insurance through CHIP to report certain changes to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Changes that must be reported are a new address or phone number, a social security number change, a newly diagnosed disability or the birth of a child.