Topic: Health — Insurance
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-02-12 00:00:00

CHIP Extension and Improvement Act of 2015

 Revises and extends through FY2019 at generally increased levels the program under title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSAct), and adjusts CHIP allotment requirements accordingly, including the rebasing and growth factor update rules for computing state allotments. Makes appropriations for certain allotments.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments to shortfall states from the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund in each of FY2016-FY2019.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to minimum essential coverage for a targeted pregnant low-income woman under CHIP, to exclude from such coverage, at a woman's option, pregnancy-related assistance.

Directs the Secretary to issue regulations to ensure continuity of care for children who: (1) are undergoing an active course of treatment; and (2) involuntarily change coverage under health insurance, the state plan under Medicaid (SSAct title XIX), or the state child health plan under CHIP during such course of treatment for any reason.

Amends SSAct title XIX to allow a state Medicaid plan to provide that an adult determined eligible for Medicaid benefits shall remain eligible for those benefits until the end of a period (not to exceed 12 months) following the determination.

Makes permanent the express lane option and the CHIP outreach and enrollment grant program. Gives states the option to extend express lane Medicaid eligibility to adults.

Makes permanent the program of grants to conduct outreach and enrollment efforts designed to increase the enrollment and participation of eligible children under CHIP.

Requires each contract with a managed care entity under Medicaid to require the provision of and payment for language services for enrolled individuals who are limited English proficient.

Prescribes additional cost-sharing requirements under CHIP.

Amends SSAct titles XIX and XXI to cover preventive services for children or pregnant women without cost-sharing.

Amends SSAct title XIX to cover newly approved vaccines within 30 days after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices approves them. Treats CHIP-eligible children as federally vaccine-eligible children.

Extends Medicaid coverage of primary care services through calendar 2019, and expands the types of physicians and health care practitioners eligible for reimbursement for providing such services.

Extends increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP, or federal matching rate) for additional expenditures for primary care services through calendar year 2019.

Amends SSAct title XI to extend the pediatric quality measures program through FY2019.

Revises the FMAP for activities related to pediatric quality measures.

Extends the technical assistance provided to states in adopting and utilizing certain core sets of child health measures to assistance in building their data collection infrastructures as well.

Revises requirements for initial core measures.

Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on the core set of child health quality measures.

Modifies and extends through FY2019: (1) the demonstration projects for improving the quality of children's health care and the use of health information technology, and (2) funding for childhood obesity demonstration projects.

Amends SSAct title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) to extend funding through FY2019 for maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting programs.

Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to extend through calendar 2019 the Pediatric Accountable Care Organization Demonstration Project.

Amends SSAct title XIX to cover therapeutic foster care services.