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MISSISSIPPI DIVISION OF MEDICAID Eligibility Policy and Procedures Manual CHAPTER 102 – Non-Financial Requirements Page |84 Effective Month: July 2025 terminated within the six months prior to the application. As indicated above, a child covered by insurance at the time of application is not eligible; however, when insurance coverage will terminate within the 30-day application processing period, do not deny an otherwise CHIP-eligible child. If all other factors of eligibility will be met, hold the application and take action to approve the child after the insurance coverage has ended. Example: An application is filed on February 2nd for an otherwise CHIP-eligible child whose verified insurance termination date is February 15th. Action can be taken to approve CHIP after insurance coverage has ended. The earliest CHIP begin date would be March 1. When a child’s eligibility changes from Medicaid to CHIP, there should be no break in coverage. However, there will be a break in coverage between termination of third- party insurance and the CHIP start date, unless the insurance ends on the last day of the month and CHIP begins the following month. Geographical Access to Creditable Coverage Geographical access must be taken into consideration when creditable coverage exists for a child. A child is not considered covered under a group health plan or health insurance coverage if the child does not have reasonable geographic access to care under that plan. For example: A child potentially eligible for CHIP who lives full time with his mother in Mississippi is found to have group health insurance coverage through his absent father who lives in Illinois. The health coverage is limited to a network of providers confined to Illinois. In this instance, the child living in Mississippi does not have reasonable geographic access to care under the plan, so coverage under MS CHIP is possible. Coverage Not Considered Creditable Coverage The following types of limited scope benefits do not qualify as creditable coverage. Children covered only by the following types of insurance may qualify for CHIP; however, assignment of rights will still apply if CHIP pays for a benefit that is the legal