Don’t forget to check out our Covering Idaho Kids Facebook page! We update it often with health related information for kids and families. Don’t forget to ‘like’ the page to receive timely updates!
Here’s the link for our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CoveringIdahoKids
Do you or does someone you know need Children’s Health Insurance? You may be eligible for aid and not even know it. Outreach workers will be available at the following locations and times on January 29, 2013! Stop by and ask questions to learn more about the services available to you!
*Spanish/English Bilingual Outreach Worker Available
Southwest Idaho
Boise
CONTACT: David Chase
PHONE: 208-336-5533×233
EMAIL: dchase@mtnstatesgroup.org)
*Mountain States Group Office, 8:30am-4:30pm
1607 W. Jefferson, Boise, ID 83702
*Boise Public Library, Downtown, 10:00am-Noon
715 S. Capitol Blvd., Boise, ID 83702
St. Vincent De Paul – State St., 10:00am-Noon
6464 State St, Boise, ID 83714
*St. Vincent De Paul – Broadway, 12:30pm-2:00pm
2110 S. Broadway Ave, Boise, ID 83706
*Boise Public Library, Hillcrest Branch, 12:00pm-2:00pm
5246 W. Overland Rd., Boise, ID 83705
Pioneer Day Shelter, 1:00pm-3:00pm
500 S. Ash St., Boise, ID 83702
*Boise Public Library, Cole & Ustick Branch, 2:00pm-4:00pm
7557 W. Ustick Rd., Boise, ID 83703
Boise Downtown Family YMCA, 5:00pm-7:00pm
1050 West State Street, Boise, ID 83702
*Boise Public Library, Collister, 6:00pm-8:00pm
4724 W. State St., Boise, ID 83703
Garden City
CONTACT: Rosalia Barroso-Teran
PHONE: 208-954-1183
EMAIL: rbarroso@mtnstatesgroup.org
*Garden City Public Library, 10:00am-Noon
6015 North Glenwood Street, Boise, ID 83714
Nampa / Caldwell
CONTACT: Erica Mendoza
PHONE: 208-585-0048 ext 2705
EMAIL: emendoza@trhs.org
or
CONTACT: Tammy Nichols
PHONE: 208-615-6541
EMAIL: tnichols@mtnstatesgroup.org
*Nampa Salvation Army, 9:00am-11:00am
403 12th Avenue South, Nampa, ID 83651
*Nampa Terry Reilly Clinic, 11:00am-2:00pm
223 16th Avenue North, Nampa, ID 83687
*Nampa Public Library, 3:00pm-5:00pm
101 11th Avenue South, Nampa, ID 83651
*Caldwell Family YMCA, 3:00pm-5:00pm
3720 Indiana Avenue, Caldwell, ID 83605
Burley / Rupert
CONTACT: Esmeralda Cruz
PHONE: 208-678-7796
EMAIL: ecruz@fhsid.com
*Burley Public Library, 2:30-5:30
1300 Miller Avenue, Burley, ID 83318
Mountain Home
CONTACT: Rosalia Barroso-Teran
PHONE: 208-954-1183
EMAIL: rbarroso@mtnstatesgroup.org
*Mountain Home Public Library, 3:00pm-6:00pm
790 North 10th East, Mountain Home, ID 83647
CONTACT: Desiree Cleave
PHONE: 208-292-0134
EMAIL: dcleave@dhcidaho.org
Kroc Center, 3:00-6:00
1765 West Golf Course Road, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815
CONTACT: Mindy Stosich
PHONE: (208)232-7862 ext. 1120
EMAIL: mstosich@healthwestinc.org
Health West – Lava Hot Springs, 12:00-2:00pm
85 South 5th West, Lava Hot Springs, ID 83246
*Spanish/English Bilingual Outreach Worker Available
As a quick recap of the last post, to be eligible for the children’s CHIP/Medicaid program in Idaho a child or teen must meet requirements in three areas:
In this post we’ll address age and U.S. Citizenship / Legal residency, along with the 5-year ban that applies to legal permanent residents.
Let’s talk about (1) Age…
First and foremost: to be eligible for the children’s CHIP/Medicaid program in Idaho, a child needs to be under the age of 19.
As long as they have not turned 19 yet, a child or teenager can apply for children’s CHIP/Medicaid coverage in Idaho. Once they have turned 19, they cannot apply for coverage under this program (they may be eligible for a different program though; if you have questions about programs for adults age 19+, call the Idaho CareLine at 2-1-1).
(2) Citizenship or Residency Status
To be eligible for the children’s CHIP/Medicaid program in Idaho, a child needs to be either a U.S. Citizen, or a Legal Resident (you may have also seen the terms “legal permanent resident”, “lawful permanent resident”, or LPR).
Children who are U.S. citizens will need to provide their social security number on the application. Idaho DHW uses computer systems to cross-check this information with the national database and verify the child’s U.S. citizenship.
Children who are Legal Residents will need to provide a number called the “Alien I.D. Number” on their application; this number can be found on the child’s legal permanent resident card (sometimes this is also called an “entry card” or “green card”. It’s also a good idea to submit a copy of their card (both sides, front and back) with the application, because this card will provide a lot of information that Idaho DHW needs in order to verify if the child is in the country legally. Only children who are in the country legally are eligible to enroll and receive CHIP/Medicaid benefits.
Once Idaho DHW has determined that the child is a legal permanent resident, there is one more requirement that has to be met: what’s known as the “five-year ban”.
The 5-year ban for Legal Permanent Residents:
In Idaho, children who are legal permanent residents have to be in the U.S. for five years before being eligible for Medicaid.
In order to determine if a child has been in the U.S. for five years, Idaho DHW will look at their entry date.
Next we’ll cover income guidelines for Idaho’s CHIP/Medicaid program.
To be eligibility for the children’s CHIP/Medicaid program in Idaho, a child or teen must meet three requirements:
As part of our program, we have created a basic eligibility checklist for this process, which can be accessed here:
Basic Eligibility Screening Tool in English/Spanish (.docx)
This document includes a 1/2 page English and 1/2 page Spanish screening tool that can be used in clinics, or it can be altered to use in schools, churches, or any other community location where families will have access. Below is an example of the English screening tool:
We’ll get into more detail on eligibility in the next few posts.
One great summer outreach opportunity in Idaho is Picnic in the Park (also known as the “Simplified Summer Food Program”; it may be referred to by other names in different parts of the state).
From the program brochure: This program makes sure that children in many parts of the state have free, healthy meals over most of their summer vacations. Lunches (and sometimes breakfasts) may be served at a park, school, church and other places in many Idaho communities. (Click here to view the full informational brochure for this program).
This program is a great way to reach out to families in many Idaho communities with information about Community Health Centers (CHCs) and the Idaho CHIP/Medicaid program. You may be able to get involved in several ways. Some ideas for getting involved are:
These are just a few ideas of ways to connect through this community program and reach out to the families attending. Each program site may do things a bit differently, so it’s a good idea to reach out to the local contact person to discuss ideas or opportunities for that particular area.
Here is a link to a map of all Picnic in the Park / Summer Food Program locations in Idaho: http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/cnp/summerFoods/map.htm
Double-click on the map to zoom in; you can click on individual locations to view the days and times when food is served, and also to view the contact person for that site.
About the Children’s CHIP/Medicaid Program in Idaho
Idaho has a Medicaid program (which covers children up to 133% of the Federal Poverty Level, or FPL), and an Expanded Medicaid program, also known as “CHIP”, which covers children up to 185% FPL. Combined, these programs are called as the “Idaho Health Plan: Coverage For Children”. Most Idahoans commonly refer to these programs as “Medicaid”.
What services are covered by the children’s CHIP/Medicaid program in Idaho?
In Idaho, services covered by children’s CHIP/Medicaid include:
How can my child apply?
There are several ways for parents or caretakers to apply for Idaho’s CHIP/Medicaid coverage for their children. They can:
The Partnership for Healthier Idaho Kids is dedicated to increasing the enrollment of underserved Idaho children and teens in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It is a project of Mountain States Group, Inc.
The purpose of our project is to reach out to groups of children where significant gaps in health coverage exist, through a partnership with the Idaho Primary Care Association (IPCA) and Idaho’s Community Health Centers. We aim to find and assist Idaho children who are eligible but unenrolled in the Idaho CHIP/Medicaid Program (also called the “Idaho Health Plan for Children”), and we are focused on reaching out to rural and underserved populations, with a particular emphasis on Idaho’s Hispanic children.
This project is funded by a Cycle II CHIPRA Outreach & Enrollment Grant Award from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), through funding set aside in the CHIP Reauthorization Act (2009).
