More than $296 million was awarded to states for ensuring more children have health coverage, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today.
The performance bonus payments are funded under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, one of the first pieces of legislation signed into law by President Obama in 2009. To qualify for these bonus payments, states must surpass a specified Medicaid enrollment target. They also must adopt procedures that improve access to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), making it easier for eligible children to enroll and retain coverage.
The bonuses come one week after new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the number of children with insurance increased by 1.2 million since the CHIP reauthorization in 2009. An HHS issue brief notes that this increase has been entirely due to greater enrollment in public programs such as Medicaid and CHIP.
“More children now have the advantages health coverage provides,” Sebelius said. “And parents now have the security of knowing their children can get the health care they need without worrying that an illness could leave them with a lifetime of medical bills.”
Performance bonuses help offset the costs states incur when they enroll lower income children in Medicaid. By ensuring that states streamline their enrollment and renewal procedures, the bonuses also give states the incentive to adopt long-term improvements in their children’s health insurance programs.
“Despite serious fiscal challenges, today’s awards show that children’s health remains a top priority for states,” said Cindy Mann, deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Not only have more states qualified for performance bonuses than in the past, but many have continued to improve the efficiency of their programs.”
The 23 states eligible for performance bonuses include: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

1. Your health matters. HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, requires insurers to write even the smallest of employer group plans on a “guaranteed issue” basis. This means that the insurer must accept any small employer group that applies for coverage, regardless of the group members’ health status or claims history. All employees have to do is enroll when they first become eligible, or during the plan’s annual open enrollment period. Individual insurance works differently. Insurers underwrite these plans on an individual basis, so it will consider your current health and health history. If you have a pre-existing health condition, your insurer can exclude coverage for it or even refuse to issue a policy.

2. Your timing matters. If your existing group coverage (whether COBRA or a student health plan) ends soon, you will want to apply for new coverage within 63 days. Why 63 days? HIPAA allows an individual who has group coverage to obtain new coverage with a reduced, or no, exclusion period for pre-existing conditions. This HIPAA protection applies only to insurance applicants who have had continuous “creditable coverage” with no gaps greater than 63 days.

How does the food you eat cause tooth decay?

When you eat, food passes through your mouth. Here it meets the germs, or bacteria, that live in your mouth. You may have heard your dentist talk about plaque. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria.

These bacteria love sugars and starches found in many foods. When you don’t clean your teeth after eating, plaque bacteria use the sugar and starch to produce acids that can destroy the hard surface of the tooth, called enamel. After a while, tooth decay occurs. The more often you eat and the longer foods are in your mouth, the more damage occurs.

How do I choose foods wisely?

Some foods that you would least expect contain sugars or starches. Some examples are fruits, milk, bread, cereals and even vegetables.

The key to choosing foods wisely is not to avoid these foods, but to think before you eat. Not only what you eat but when you eat makes a big difference in your dental health. Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks. If you are on a special diet, keep your physician’s advice in mind when choosing foods. For good dental health, keep these tips in mind when choosing your meals and snacks.

What are tips for better dental health?

To get a balanced diet, eat a variety of foods. Choose foods from each of the five major food groups:

• breads, cereals and other grain products
• fruits
• vegetables
• meat, poultry and fish
• milk, cheese and yogurt

Limit the number of snacks that you eat. Each time you eat food that contains sugars or starches, the teeth are attacked by acids for 20 minutes or more.
If you do snack, choose nutritious foods, such as cheese, raw vegetables, plain yogurt, or a piece of fruit.

1. SMALL BUSINESS TAX CREDITS Offers tax credits to small businesses to make employee coverage more affordable.  Tax credits of up to 35 percent of premiums will be available to firms that choose to offer coverage.  Effective beginning calendar year 2010.  (Beginning in 2014, the small business tax credits will cover 50 percent of premiums.)
2. NO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHILDREN WITH PRE‐EXISTING CONDITIONS Prohibits new health plans in all markets plus grandfathered group health plans from denying coverage to children with pre‐existing conditions.  Effective 6 months after enactment.  (Beginning in 2014, this prohibition would apply to all persons.)
3. HELP FOR UNINSURED AMERICANS WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS UNTIL EXCHANGE IS AVAILABLE (INTERIM HIGH‐RISK POOL) Provides access to affordable insurance for Americans who are uninsured because of a pre‐existing condition through a temporary subsidized high‐risk pool.  Effective in 2010.
4. ENDS RESCISSIONS Bans insurance companies from dropping people from coverage when they get sick.  Effective 6 months after enactment.
5. BEGINS TO CLOSE THE MEDICARE PART D DONUT HOLE Provides a $250 rebate to Medicare beneficiaries who hit the donut hole in 2010.  Effective for calendar year 2010.  (Beginning in 2011, institutes a 50% discount on prescription drugs in the donut hole; also completely closes the donut hole by 2020.)
6. FREE PREVENTIVE CARE UNDER MEDICARE Eliminates co‐payments for preventive services and exempts preventive services from deductibles under the Medicare program.  Effective beginning January 1, 2011.
7. EXTENDS COVERAGE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE UP TO 26TH BIRTHDAY THROUGH PARENTSý INSURANCE Requires new health plans and certain grandfathered plans to allow young people up to their 26th birthday to remain on their parentsý insurance policy, at the parentsý choice.  Effective 6 months after enactment.
8. HELP FOR EARLY RETIREES Creates a temporary re‐insurance program (until the Exchanges are available) to help offset the costs of expensive premiums for employers and retirees for health benefits for retirees age 55‐64.  Effective in 2010.
9. BANS LIFETIME LIMITS ON COVERAGE Prohibits health insurance companies from placing lifetime caps on coverage.  Effective 6 months after enactment.
10. BANS RESTRICTIVE ANNUAL LIMITS ON COVERAGE Tightly restricts the use of annual limits to ensure access to needed care in all new plans and grandfathered group health plans.  These tight restrictions will be defined by HHS.  Effective 6 months after enactment.  (Beginning in 2014, the use of any annual limits would be prohibited for all new plans and grandfathered group health plans.)
11. FREE PREVENTIVE CARE UNDER NEW PRIVATE PLANS Requires new private plans to cover preventive services with no co‐payments and with preventive services being exempt from deductibles.  Effective 6 months after enactment.
12. NEW, INDEPENDENT APPEALS PROCESS Ensures consumers in new plans have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal decisions by their health insurance plan.  Effective 6 months after enactment.
13. ENSURES VALUE FOR PREMIUM PAYMENTS Requires plans in the individual and small group market to spend 80 percent of premium dollars on medical services, and plans in the large group market to spend 85 percent.  Insurers that do not meet these thresholds must provide rebates to policyholders.  Effective on January 1, 2011.
14. COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS Increases funding for Community Health Centers to allow for nearly a doubling of the number of patients seen by the centers over the next 5 years.  Effective beginning in fiscal year 2011.
15. INCREASES THE NUMBER OF PRIMARY CARE PRACTITIONERS Provides new investments to increase the number of primary care practitioners, including doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.  Effective beginning in fiscal year 2011.
16. PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SALARY Prohibits new group health plans from establishing any eligibility rules for health care coverage that have the effect of discriminating in favor of higher wage employees.  Effective 6 months after enactment.
17. HEALTH INSURANCE CONSUMER INFORMATION Provides aid to states in establishing offices of health insurance consumer assistance in order to help individuals with the filing of complaints and appeals.  Effective beginning in fiscal year 2010.
18. HOLDS INSURANCE COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE FOR UNREASONABLE RATE HIKES Creates a grant program to support States in requiring health insurance companies to submit justification for all requested premium increases, and insurance companies with excessive or unjustified premium exchanges may not be able to participate in the new Health Insurance Exchanges.  Starting in plan year 2011.