Bureaucratic red tape problem as a human hand tangled in bureaucracy and regulations as a business concept and symbol of government gridlock or corporate regulatory confusion. – Illustration
Red tape shouldn't get in the way of Americans' ability to access health care. A new rule is being proposed by the Biden Administration to ease the enrollment process for Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Basic Health Programs (BHPs), as well as cut arbitrary coverage caps for children in CHIP.
In a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is working to reduce red tape and simplify application and verification processes to make it easier for children, older adults, and people with lower incomes with Medicaid and CHIP coverage to enroll in and retain vital health insurance.
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"This proposed rule will ensure that these individuals and families, often from underserved communities, can access the health care and coverage to which they are entitled – a foundational principle of health equity," says Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator, Chiquita Brooks-Lasalle. "In addition, this proposed rule will help more people pay their Medicare premiums by making it easier for them to enroll in the Medicare Savings Programs."
This rule, if finalized, would standardize common sense eligibility and enrollment policies, such as limiting renewals to once every 12 months, allowing applicants 30 days to respond to information requests, requiring pre-populated renewal forms, and establishing clear, consistent renewal processes across states.
The Biden Administration is also proposing to end lifetime benefit limits in CHIP and allow children to enroll in coverage right away by eliminating pre-enrollment waiting periods, consistent with nearly all other health coverage. The proposed rule would also permit states to transfer children's eligibility directly from Medicaid to CHIP when a family's income rises, preventing unnecessary redetermination processes from causing lapses in coverage.
The proposal also looks to simplify areas that would increase enrollment and retention for people age 65 and older, as well as those who have blindness or a disability. If finalized, the rule would streamline the application process for these programs by removing unnecessary administrative hurdles for people who do not have – but are eligible for – Medicaid, CHIP, or BHP coverage.
Finally, the proposed rule also includes policies that would improve access to programs that help make health coverage more affordable for older adults and individuals with disabilities.
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