View all text of Subchapter XXI [§ 1397aa - § 1397mm]
§ 1397bb. General contents of State child health plan; eligibility; outreach
(a) General background and descriptionA State child health plan shall include a description, consistent with the requirements of this subchapter, of—
(1) the extent to which, and manner in which, children in the State, including targeted low-income children and other classes of children classified by income and other relevant factors, currently have creditable health coverage (as defined in section 1397jj(c)(2) of this title);
(2) current State efforts to provide or obtain creditable health coverage for uncovered children, including the steps the State is taking to identify and enroll all uncovered children who are eligible to participate in public health insurance programs and health insurance programs that involve public-private partnerships;
(3) how the plan is designed to be coordinated with such efforts to increase coverage of children under creditable health coverage;
(4) the child health assistance provided under the plan for targeted low-income children, including the proposed methods of delivery, and utilization control systems;
(5) eligibility standards consistent with subsection (b);
(6) outreach activities consistent with subsection (c); and
(7) methods (including monitoring) used—
(A) to assure the quality and appropriateness of care, particularly with respect to well-baby care, well-child care, and immunizations provided under the plan;
(B) to assure access to covered services, including emergency services and services described in paragraphs (5) and (6) of section 1397cc(c) of this title; and
(C) to ensure that the State agency involved is in compliance with subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of section 1320a–7n(b)(2) of this title.
(b) General description of eligibility standards and methodology
(1) Eligibility standards
(A) In general
(B) Limitations on eligibility standardsSuch eligibility standards—
(i) shall, within any defined group of covered targeted low-income children, not cover such children with higher family income without covering children with a lower family income;
(ii) may not deny eligibility based on a child having a preexisting medical condition;
(iii) may not apply a waiting period (including a waiting period to carry out paragraph (3)(C)) in the case of a targeted low-income pregnant woman provided pregnancy-related assistance under section 1397ll of this title;
(iv) at State option, may not apply a waiting period in the case of a child provided dental-only supplemental coverage under section 1397jj(b)(5) of this title; and
(v) shall, beginning January 1, 2014, use modified adjusted gross income and household income (as defined in section 36B(d)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) to determine eligibility for child health assistance under the State child health plan or under any waiver of such plan and for any other purpose applicable under the plan or waiver for which a determination of income is required, including with respect to the imposition of premiums and cost-sharing, consistent with section 1396a(e)(14) of this title.
(2) Methodology
(3) Eligibility screening; coordination with other health coverage programsThe plan shall include a description of procedures to be used to ensure—
(A) through both intake and followup screening, that only targeted low-income children are furnished child health assistance under the State child health plan;
(B) that children found through the screening to be eligible for medical assistance under the State medicaid plan under subchapter XIX are enrolled for such assistance under such plan;
(C) that the insurance provided under the State child health plan does not substitute for coverage under group health plans;
(D) the provision of child health assistance to targeted low-income children in the State who are Indians (as defined in section 1603(c) 1
1 See References in Text note below.
of title 25); and(E) coordination with other public and private programs providing creditable coverage for low-income children.
(4) Reduction of administrative barriers to enrollment
(A) In general
(B) Deemed compliance if joint application and renewal process that permits application other than in person
(5) Nonentitlement
(c) Outreach and coordinationA State child health plan shall include a description of the procedures to be used by the State to accomplish the following:
(1) Outreach
(2) Coordination with other health insurance programs
(3) Premium assistance subsidies
(d) Treatment of children who are inmates of a public institution
(1) In generalThe State child health plan shall provide that—
(A) the State shall not terminate eligibility for child health or pregnancy-related assistance under the State child health plan for a targeted low-income child or targeted low-income pregnant woman because the child or pregnant woman is an inmate of a public institution, but may suspend coverage during the period the child or pregnant woman is such an inmate;
(B) in the case of a targeted low-income child who was determined eligible for child health assistance under the State child health plan (or waiver of such plan) immediately before becoming an inmate of a public institution, the State shall, prior to the child’s release from such public institution, conduct a redetermination of eligibility for such child with respect to such child health assistance (without requiring a new application from the child) and, if the State determines pursuant to such redetermination that the child continues to meet the eligibility requirements for such child health assistance, the State shall restore coverage for such child health assistance to such child upon the child’s release from such public institution; and
(C) in the case of a targeted low-income child who is determined eligible for child health assistance while an inmate of a public institution (subject to the exception to the exclusion of children who are inmates of a public institution described in section 1397jj(b)(7) of this title), the State shall process any application for child health assistance submitted by, or on behalf of, the child such that the State makes a determination of eligibility for the child with respect to child health assistance upon release of the child from the public institution.
(2) Required coverage of screenings, diagnostic services, referrals, and case management for certain inmates pre-release
(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title XXI, § 2102, as added Pub. L. 105–33, title IV, § 4901(a), Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 552; amended Pub. L. 111–3, title I, § 111(b)(2), title II, §§ 201(b)(2)(B)(i), 212, title III, § 302(a), title V, § 501(a)(2), (b)(2), Feb. 4, 2009, 123 Stat. 28, 39, 55, 63, 85, 86; Pub. L. 111–148, title II, § 2101(d)(1), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 287; Pub. L. 111–152, title I, § 1004(b)(2)(A), Mar. 30, 2010, 124 Stat. 1034; Pub. L. 114–198, title VII, § 706(b)(2), July 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 754; Pub. L. 115–271, title V, § 5022(c), Oct. 24, 2018, 132 Stat. 3964; Pub. L. 117–328, div. FF, title V, § 5121(c)(1), Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5942; Pub. L. 118–42, div. G, title I, § 205(b)(1), Mar. 9, 2024, 138 Stat. 406.)