With the summer launch of a revised version of the state's child health insurance program, Virginia officials expect the ranks of parents seeking the coverage to swell. Like the current program, the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security plan will provide health insurance to children whose working parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private health insurance. The new plan will take effect in August and will cover children in families earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. They receive coverage for services ranging from routine physicals and dental care to eye exams and hospital stays. The hallmark of the new plan is the opportunity for parents to apply to a central processing unit in Richmond instead of to a local social services agency.
Parents also can apply at work, with the state paying the cost of the coverage for the children.
Virginia's efforts to reduce the stigma associated with the health insurance was a primary reason for revising the program, which aims to insure up to 63,200 children. So far, nearly 32,000 children participate. Other goals included simplifying enrollment through methods such as reducing the amount of required information and creating a toll-free number to apply. State officials also wanted to give families access to a broader range of health-care providers by contracting with private health insurance companies. In the current plan, eligibility workers at local social services departments determine whether a family qualifies.