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Model Application Template for the State Children's Health Insurance Program

Effective Date: August 24, 2001

Approval Date: 8 between the programs operated by the agencies. WIC, Community Health Services, Baby Care, MCH, Title V and Children’s Special Health Services programs are key referral sources for families seeking medical coverage for children. South Dakota’s Federally Qualified Health Centers, community and migrant health centers are very involved as sources of information about the State’s medical assistance programs to assist in identifying and enrolling uncovered children, in addition to serving as primary care providers.

Interagency agreements also exist with the Department of Education and the Department of Human Services to provide for the referral of children to the Department of Social Services for medical coverage. Individual school districts in the State also participate as direct services providers under Medicaid and therefore have incentives to identify and assist enrolling children in Medicaid and SCHIP programs.

Close collaboration between the Department of Social Services and the Indian Health Service to identify and enroll Medicaid and SCHIP eligible children is a key priority for both agencies. The Department of Social Services recognizes the critical importance of the IHS as a service provider in the Indian reservation areas of the State. The IHS as a provider and payer of services, relies very heavily upon third party funding for services they are responsible for, and therefore is a proven referral source for potentially eligible children.

The initial implementation of the SCHIP program provided a number of opportunities for improved outreach and a greater opportunity for outreach partners to participate in SCHIP outreach. Administrative changes were some of the most significant improvements made with the implementation of SCHIP. Notable among these administrative changes were the development of a new, shorter application form for Medicaid and SCHIP, dropping the requirement for face to face interviews, elimination of assets testing, reduced documentation requirements and direction for DSS eligibility staff to actively participate in program outreach.

The new application form for Medicaid low income children and SCHIP eligibility has been reduced to 3 pages from a form that had been over 30 pages in length. The new form, because of its size and simplicity has been widely distributed to outreach sites including other government agencies, schools, primary care and specialty health care providers, advocacy groups, tribal programs, and day care centers. In addition to the shortening of the form, and eliminating assets information the new form also has reduced documentation requirements as only earnings and childcare expenses need to be verified by the applicant family.