© 2024 KMUW
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Kansas Rewarded For Enrolling Kids In Health Coverage

Kansas is being rewarded by the federal government for improving access to children's health coverage, and enrolling kids in low-cost insurance from the federal and state government.

The reward comes in the form of a $12 million performance bonus from CMS - the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The bonus is meant to help offset the added state costs associated with the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known in Kansas as HealthWave.

It also encourages adoption of sustainable improvements in the program. Kansas has adopted a policy known as presumptive eligibility. It presumes that children are eligible as soon as they apply, so they can see a doctor or get medicine without having to wait until the paperwork goes through.

The state also guarantees children coverage for a full year once they’re deemed eligible, so their care is not disrupted. Performance bonuses have been offered for the last four years, and Kansas has qualified each time.