Introduction
CHIP, or Children’s Health Coverage Programs, are low-cost or no-cost insurance options available for children residing in the United States. The health of children is vital to the continued well-being of the nation, and as they do not earn money and their parents may be unable to supply the necessary funds for full coverage equivalent to that of an adult, CHIP provides an affordable option without compromising quality. This essay investigates the options available to residents of Virginia, discusses possible lacking services, and elaborates on the promotion of the services.
CHIP in Virginia
CHIP programs are typically segregated based on the family’s income. This division is the case in Virginia as well, with two options available for parents to choose from. The Virginia-specific program is known as FAMIS and is open to families that are below a specific income limit. It includes a variety of services, such as vaccinations, doctor and hospital visits, numerous care options, and prescription medicine (“FAMIS,” n.d.). It does not come with enrollment costs or monthly premiums, although some services will require a co-payment. The program’s materials are available in a variety of languages, including traditional Chinese and Hindi.
Medicaid, also known as FAMIS Plus in Virginia, remains an option for lower-income families. According to “Medicaid” (n.d.), it comes with all the services offered by the regular FAMIS, but also provides access to the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment program for children. The program is available to adults as well as children as long as they meet several eligibility criteria. People with incomes that are considerably higher than the Federal Poverty Level may still receive limited coverage. Information about the program is available in the same languages as that about regular FAMIS.
Possible Additions
Both FAMIS and Medicaid cover a broad variety of services, particularly dental care, which is critical to children as their teeth develop and grow. However, insurance does not include several options that can become necessary for a child. In particular, the programs make no mention of surgical attention should it become necessary. Furthermore, while the programs mention hospital visits, they do not suggest the possibility of inpatient hospitalizations should those become necessary.
It is functionally inevitable that some children will develop threatening conditions that will require such treatments, and parents without a stable high income may struggle to meet the high costs of the necessary procedures. The addition of further coverage options such as those discussed above would contribute to the improvement of the programs significantly and warrants a recommendation.
Awareness Efforts
Virginia’s FAMIS and Medicaid programs are hosted on the same website. They also reference each other frequently, allowing parents who know about Medicaid but find themselves to be non-eligible to apply for FAMIS. The programs make an effort to reach out to a broad variety of communities and ethnicities and spread pamphlets in a variety of languages. Furthermore, according to “For our partners” (n.d.), the organizations allow the printing of materials for free, host Enrollment Summits, host training workshops, and maintain an outreach and communications team. Overall, the efforts provide a sufficient base to deliver information about insurance options to the population.
Conclusion
Virginia has two CHIP programs, both of which are aimed at populations with lower incomes: FAMIS and Medicaid. Despite being the more budget option, Medicaid offers access to a broader variety of services. Nevertheless, both programs cover most of the services a child may need, though some services, such as surgery or inpatient treatment, are absent despite their high cost. The information about the insurance options is disseminated in a variety of options, including summits, workshops, and online promotions. Overall, while there is room for improvement, Virginia’s CHIP programs are mostly satisfactory.
References
FAMIS. (n.d.). Web.
For our partners (n.d.). Web.
Medicaid. (n.d.). Web.