New York's Child Health Plus Set for Expansion Apr 11, 2007 States that provide government sponsored children's health plans receive partial funding from the federal government. The state determines eligibility requirements, as long as the meet the minimum requirements set forth under federal CHIP regulations. On Sunday, the New York Legislature approved Governor Eliot Spitzer’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2008 and, in so doing, have set into motion the possibility of raising the eligibility requirements for the state subsidized children’s health insurance program (SCHIP) also known as Child Health Plus from 250% of the federal poverty level to 400% of the federal poverty level, thereby extending access to medical insurance benefits to more than 500,000 uninsured children throughout the state of New York. If expansion of the Child Health Plus income guidelines is approved, it will mark the nation’s highest income ceiling for state-subsidized health care for children. Established in the early 1990’s to provide medical insurance benefits to children of low-income families, Child Health Plus has significantly impacted the number of uninsured children throughout the state by reducing the number considerably. Unfortunately, there still exists a significant number of children currently without medical insurance coverage. Of the 500,000 remaining uninsured children throughout the state, approximately two-thirds are eligible to receive health care benefits under Medicaid or the Child Health Plus program. The remaining one-third would become eligible upon passage of the governor’s expansion plan. As with any political agenda, the governor’s plan has drawn sharp criticism from many; however, a recent study conducted by the United Hospital Fund would suggest that the cost involved in expanding SCHIP coverage would be minimal compared to health care costs currently incurred by the state. Critics aside, assuring access to health care is one thing; ensuring enrollment to health care is quite the other. For the governor’s plan to have the impact that one might associate with such an expansion plan, it will be necessary to aggressively launch a marketing campaign directed at eligible recipients who have neglected to engage in the receipt of state-sponsored health care benefits. Although the governor and his aides are in favor of aggressively marketing the proposed expansion plan, Governor Spitzer is also calling for a simplification of the enrollment process. The simplification process would adhere to any and all government subsidized health care programs, including Medicaid and Child Health Plus. The biggest obstacle currently foreseen in the governor’s simplification process could be the newly enacted federal requirements which necessitate proof of citizenship documentation being produced at the time of enrollment. This aside, Governor Spitzer believes that to simplify the process would ensure the enrollment of many thousands of New York’s currently uninsured population.