Premium Assistance for Medicaid and CHIP
If you are eligible for health coverage from your employer, but are unable to afford the premiums, some States have premium assistance programs that can help pay for coverage. These States use funds from their Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program to help people who are eligible for employer-sponsored health coverage, but need assistance in paying their health premiums.
If you or your dependents are already enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, you can contact your State Medicaid or CHIP office to find out if premium assistance is available.
If you or your dependents are NOT currently enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, and you think you or any of your dependents might be eligible for either of these programs, you can contact your State Medicaid or CHIP office or dial 877.KIDSNOW or insurekidsnow.gov to find out how to apply. If you qualify, you can ask the State if it has a program that might help you pay the premiums for an employer-sponsored plan.
Once it is determined that you or your dependents are eligible for premium assistance under Medicaid or CHIP, your employer’s health plan is required to permit you and your dependents to enroll in the plan – as long as you and your dependents are eligible, but not already enrolled in the employer’s plan. This is called a “special enrollment” opportunity, and you must request coverage within 60 days of being determined eligible for premium assistance.
If you live in one of the following States, you may be eligible for assistance paying your employer health plan premiums. The following list of states is current as of February 16, 2010. You should contact your state for further information on eligibility.
Medicaid and CHIP Information by State
| Alabama – Medicaid medicaid.alabama.gov p – 800.362.1504 |
California – Medicaid dhcs.ca.gov p – 866.298.8443 |
| Alaska – Medicaid health.hss.state.ak.us p – 888.318.8890 (Outside of Anchorage) p – 907.269.6529 (Anchorage) |
Colorado – Medicaid and CHIP www.colorado.gov p – 800.866.3513 (Medicaid) CHPplus.org p – 303.866.3243 (CHIP) |
| Arizona – CHIP azahcccs.gov p – 602.417.5422 |
Florida – Medicaid fdhc.state.fl.us p – 866.762.2237 |
| Arkansas – CHIP arkidsfirst.com p – 888.474.8275 |
Montana – Medicaid medicaidprovider.hhs.mt.gov p – 800.694.3084 |
| Georgia – Medicaid dch.georgia.gov/medicaid p – 800.869.1150 |
Idaho – Medicaid and CHIP medicaid.idaho.gov p – 208.334.5747 (Medicaid) healthandwelfare.idaho.gov p – 800.926.2588 (CHIP) |
| Nebraska – Medicaid dhhs.ne.gov p – 877.255.3092 |
Indiana – Medicaid www.in.gov p – 877.438.4479 |
| Nevada – Medicaid and CHIP dwss.nv.gov p – 800.992.0900 (Medicaid) nevadacheckup.nv.org p – 877.543.7669 (CHIP) |
Iowa – Medicaid dhs.state.ia.us p – 888.346.9562 |
| Kansas – Medicaid khpa.ks.gov p – 785.296.3981 |
New Hampshire – Medicaid dhhs.state.nh.us p – 800.852.3345 x 5254 |
| Kentucky – Medicaid chfs.ky.gov p – 800.635.2570 |
New Jersey – Medicaid and CHIP state.nj.us p – 800.356.1561 (Medicaid) njfamilycare.org p – 800.701.0710 (CHIP) |
| Louisiana – Medicaid dhh.louisiana.gov p – 888.342.0555 |
Maine – Medicaid maine.gov p – 800.321.5557 |
| Massachusetts – Medicaid and CHIP mass.gov p – 800.462.1120 |
New Mexico – Medicaid and CHIP hsd.state.nm.us p – 888.997.2583 (Medicaid) p – 888.997.2583 (CHIP) |
| Minnesota – Medicaid dhs.state.mn.us p – 800.657.3739 |
New York – Medicaid nyhealth.gov p – 800.541.2831 |
| Missouri – Medicaid dss.mo.gov p – 573.751.6944 |
North Carolina – Medicaid nc.gov p – 919.855.4100 |
| North Dakota – Medicaid nd.gov p – 800.755.2604 |
Utah – Medicaid health.utah.gov p – 866.435.7414 |
| Oklahoma – Medicaid insureoklahoma.org p – 888.365.3742 |
Vermont – Medicaid ovha.vermont.gov p – 800.250.8427 |
| Oregon – Medicaid and CHIP oregon.gov p – 800.359.9517 (Medicaid) p – 800.359.9517 (CHIP) |
Virginia – Medicaid and CHIP famis.org p – 800.432.5924 (Medicaid) p – 866.873.2647 (CHIP) |
| Pennsylvania – Medicaid healthchoicespa.com p – 800.644.7730 |
Washington – Medicaid hca.wa.gov/medicaid p – 800.562.6136 |
| Rhode Island – Medicaid dhs.ri.gov p – 401.462.5300 |
West Virginia – Medicaid wvrecovery.com p – 304.342.1604 |
| South Carolina – Medicaid scdhhs.gov p – 888.549.0820 |
Wisconsin – Medicaid wisconsin.gov p – 800.362.3002 |
| Texas – Medicaid gethipptexas.com p – 800.440.0493 |
Wyoming – Medicaid health.wyo.gov p – 307.777.7531 |
To see if more states have added a premium assistance program, or for more information on special enrollment rights, you can contact either:
| U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration dol.gov/ebsa p – 866.444.EBSA (3272) |
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cms.hhs.gov p – 877.267.2323 x61565 |