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Wolf: All CHIP plans now meet federal requirements
Larry Portzline//June 11, 2015//
Listen to this articleWolf said in a news release that families in the CHIP program will not face tax penalties for 2015 and will see no premium increases during the current policy year.
The governor said the families of 3,600 children in Pennsylvania’s full-cost CHIP plans had faced tax penalties for 2014 and 2015 because the plans didn’t meet the ACA’s minimum essential coverage requirements.The families also could have lost their coverage, he explained. Wolf said he worked with insurance commissioner Teresa Miller to get the federal government to provide hardship waivers for the families in 2014 and to give the state time to bring 2015 plans into compliance.
“Governor Wolf is committed to increasing the availability of health insurance, and his leadership made this announcement possible today, along with the partnership of our insurance vendors,” Miller said. “The winners are the children who continue to benefit from CHIP coverage, and families who can get this coverage at rates they can afford.”
More than 147,000 Pennsylvania children are currently enrolled in CHIP, which provides health insurance to those under 19 who don’t qualify for Medical Assistance. CHIP insurers have started the process of updating their computer systems to reflect enhanced benefits that meet federal requirements under the ACA, the Insurance Department said. All insurers will have their systems updated to implement the added benefits by July 1.
Among the additional benefits included in full-cost CHIP plans under the ACA are a prohibition on annual and lifetime dollar limitations for specific services classified as essential health benefits. Covered items include durable medical equipment, hearing aids, pediatric vision and dental services, including orthodontic services. Prior to the minimum essential coverage requirements for full-cost CHIP plans, there were limits such as $1,500 per year for dental and orthodontic care, $5,000 per year for durable medical equipment and $120 a year for glasses, the department said.
