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About Medicaid & CHIP
Overview
The Division of Health Care Finance (DHCF) is responsible for purchasing health services for children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, the aged, and the elderly through the Medicaid program, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the state-funded MediKan program. On average, about 360,000 Kansas are enrolled in these programs each month.
Medicaid is a federal-state program that provides health and long-term care services to people with low incomes. All states currently participate in the Medicaid program and federal matching funds are available for the costs of these services. As a condition of state participation, each state must agree to cover certain populations and provide certain services. DHCF is directly responsible for the purchase of health care services funded through the Medicaid program, while the Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) is responsible for administering long-term care services and mental health services.
Title XIX & XXI
Nearly all health care services purchased by DHCF are financed through a combination of state and federal matching dollars either through Title XIX (Medicaid) or Title XXI (the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP) of the Social Security Act. Under Title XIX, the federal government provides approximately 60% of the cost of Medicaid services with no upper limit on what the federal government will reimburse the State. The State provides the remaining 40% of the cost of Medicaid services. As long as covered services are provided to eligible beneficiaries as specified in the State Medicaid Plan, the federal government must participate in sharing the costs of those services. Under Title XXI, the Federal government provides approximately 72% of the cost up to a maximum allotment, and the State provides the remaining 28% and any excess spent above the federal allotment. Health care services are purchased through both managed care and fee-for-service models.
CHIP provides health care coverage for low-income children living in families with incomes that exceed Medicaid limits. Unlike Medicaid, CHIP is not open-ended; states are awarded yearly allotments. Kansas provides low-cost health insurance coverage to children who are under the age of 19, do not qualify for Medicaid, have family incomes under 232% of the federal poverty level, and are not covered by private health insurance.
Adults with Disabilities
The MediKan health program covers adults with disabilities who do not qualify for Medicaid but are eligible for services under the Medikan program. MediKan provides limited benefits to adults whose applications for federal disability are being reviewed by the Social Security Administration. Health benefits include the provision of medical care in acute situations and during catastrophic illnesses. Overall, the scope of services covered by MediKan is similar to that covered by Medicaid, but a number of restrictions and limitations apply.
For more information about either Medicaid or CHIP go to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website or the Kaiser Family Foundation website.