DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop S2-26-12 
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850 
 
 
CMCS Informational Bulletin 
 
 
DATE:   July 5, 2013   
 
FROM:   Cindy Mann, Director  
Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services  
 
SUBJECT:   Release of Eligibility Final Rule and CHIPRA Outreach Grants 
 
 
Final Eligibility Rule 
 
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is releasing a final rule entitled 
Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Programs: Essential Health Benefits in Alternative 
Benefit Plans, Eligibility Notices, Fair Hearing and Appeal Processes, and Premiums and Cost 
Sharing; Exchanges: Eligibility and Enrollment (CMS-2334-F) 
 
This final rule provides further guidance to assist states with implementing the Affordable Care 
Acts plan for achieving a simple, streamlined system of affordable health coverage for nearly all 
Americans.  It addresses aspects of the Medicaid, CHIP and Marketplace eligibility notices and 
appeals processes; provides additional flexibility regarding benefits and cost sharing for state 
Medicaid programs; codifies several eligibility and enrollment provisions included in the 
Affordable Care Act and the Childrens Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act 
(CHIPRA) and provides operational guidance to help states implement their Health Insurance 
Marketplaces. 
 
This final rule does not address all of the proposed regulatory changes included in the notice of 
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) released on January 22, 2013.  In order to best assist states in 
preparation for the availability of new coverage beginning January 1, 2014, this rule focuses on 
those provisions that are most critical for implementation.  CMS intends to address the remaining 
provisions of the January NPRM in future rulemaking.  
 
The final rule can be found online at the Federal Registers website: 
https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection 
 
For more information on this rule, please visit: http://www.cms.gov/apps/media/fact_sheets.asp 
 
    CMCS Informational Bulletin  Page 2 
CHIPRA Outreach Grants 
 
Earlier this week, CMS awarded nearly $32 million in grants for efforts to identify and enroll 
children eligible for Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The 
Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment Grants were awarded to 41 state 
agencies, community health centers, school-based organizations and non-profit groups in 22 
states; two grantees are multistate organizations.  
 
Grants were made in five focus areas:  
 
1.  Engaging schools in outreach, enrollment and retention activities (9 awards); 
2.  Reducing health coverage disparities by reaching out to subgroups of children that are 
less likely to have health coverage (8 awards); 
3.  Streamlining enrollment for individuals participating in other public benefit programs 
such as nutritional or other assistance programs (3 awards);  
4.  Improving application assistance resources to provide high quality, reliable Medicaid 
and CHIP enrollment and renewal services in local communities (13 awards); and 
5.  Training communities to help families understand the new application and enrollment 
system and to deliver effective assistance to families with children eligible for Medicaid 
or CHIP (8 awards).  
 
These awards are part of the $140 million included in the Affordable Care Act and the Childrens 
Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 for enrollment and renewal 
outreach. 
 
Grant award summaries are available online at: 
http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/professionals/CKCCycleIIIGrantAwards.pdf  
 
Additional information, including a press release and fact sheet, is available at: 
http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/professionals/index.html