How Did the ACA Affect CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program)?

The Affordable Care Act made some changes to CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Let’s take a look at the ACA and CHIP and learn how the changes may affect your family.

Health coverage is free or low cost for Kids and Teens through Medicaid and CHIP. CHIP is offered 365 days a year, so there is no wrong time to make sure your children are covered.

Don’t Wait to Enroll in the Children’s Health Insurance Program

Under CHIP, there is no reason to wait to make sure kids are covered. Millions of children qualify for CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) 365 days a year. The CHIP program provides free or low cost coverage to kids and other family members, even kids whose parents make too much money for Medicaid coverage can qualify for CHIP. Over the past 15 years, CHIP has done an excellent job in reducing the number of children without health insurance and under the Affordable Care Act even more kids are covered.

Even states that didn’t expand Medicaid still tend to provide good CHIP coverage. In many non-expansion states, parents who wouldn’t normally qualify for Medicaid can qualify if children qualify for CHIP.

Important: If you have limited Medicaid coverage, when you fill out a Marketplace application and are asked whether you have coverage now, don’t check the box saying you have Medicaid. Check “None of the above” instead.

Since 2009, children and pregnant women can be eligible for Medicaid/ CHIP, including during the five-year ban for immigrants, if they reside in a state that has chosen to extend coverage under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA).

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Don’t Wait to Enroll in the Children’s Health Insurance Program

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