2009
- Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act signed into law
CHIPRA creates new requirements for improvingthe oral health of children enrolled in Medicaid
and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Background
Signed into law in February 2009, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) renewed and strengthened the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The law provided states with new tools and fiscal incentives to enroll eligible uninsured children in Medicaid and CHIP. It also included provisions focused on improving the quality of care and benefits for children. Among these provisions are new requirements and options aimed at improving children’s oral health.
Impact
All CHIP programs are now required to cover comprehensive dental benefits. CHIPRA also allows states with separate CHIP programs to offer a dental-only plan for children who have other health insurance but lack adequate dental benefits. Other oral health improvements include education for new parents, better access to benefit and provider information, and enhanced reporting on the quality of dental health services in Medicaid and CHIP.
Source
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured; Center for Children and Families, Georgetown University; Children’s Dental Health Project. 2010. CHIP Tips: Children’s Oral Health Benefits. Washington DC: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.
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