December 20, 2012 – Lawmakers will have $25.8 million at their disposal when the legislature convenes next February -- with no strings attached.
December 19, 2012
December 20, 2012 – Lawmakers will have $25.8 million at their disposal when the legislature convenes next February -- with no strings attached.
Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services made the announcement, saying Oregon is among 23 states receiving performance bonuses for enrolling children in its Medicaid program, known as the Children’s Health Insurance Program. In Oregon, that meant 289,802 children participated in that program during fiscal 2012. “No decisions have been made about how this money will be spent,” said Alissa Robbins, spokesperson for the Oregon Health Authority. “We’ll work with the legislature to determine next steps. This award is affirmation of Oregon’s strong commitment to make healthcare available to more people. When children and families have healthcare coverage they are more likely to receive primary care, more likely to stay healthy, and less likely to face medical debt or bankruptcy.” In previous years, Oregon received $22.3 million in fiscal 2011 based on having 274,015 children enrolled, $10.6 million in fiscal 2010 (245,999 children) and $1.6 million in fiscal 2009 (215,142 children). The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) established performance bonuses, giving states an incentive to support enrollment and retention of eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP and help defray the costs associated with increasing enrollment of the lowest income children. All told, CMS is awarding $306 million to 23 states. According to a press release issued by CMS: “Studies show that enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP has been driving the nation’s steady progress on increasing the number of children with health insurance coverage. “The Urban Institute found that participation rates in Medicaid and CHIP have continued to improve over time. In 2010, 85.8 percent of eligible children were enrolled, an increase from 84.3 percent in 2009 and 81.7 percent in 2008. As a result of the strong and improving participation rate, the number of children eligible for Medicaid and CHIP but not enrolled has declined from nearly 5 million in 2008 to 4.4 million in 2010. FOR MORE INFORMATION To learn more about the fiscal 2012 performance bonuses, click here.
