Keep Kids Covered Act
The Keep Kids Covered Act would require states to provide continuous eligibility for specific groups of children under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Specifically, it would extend continuous coverage from newborns up to age 6, and from ages 6 through 18, with an additional continuous eligibility protection for former foster youth up to age 26. It also tightens administrative rules by requiring states to regularly update contact information and notify enrollees about their continuous eligibility and remaining coverage period. A phased effective date would begin one year after enactment. In practical terms, the bill aims to reduce coverage churn by allowing children to stay insured even if temporary changes in income, residence, or other eligibility factors would otherwise trigger disenrollment. The bill also makes a few transitional adjustments for how former foster youth are covered and how CHIP and Medicaid interact during the continuous eligibility period, including explicit provisions that could allow certain CHIP enrollees to transfer to Medicaid during the continuous 6-year window if they become eligible for full Medicaid benefits.
Key Points
- 1Continuous eligibility for deemed newborns until age 6 under Medicaid, and a parallel 6-year continuous window under CHIP with a potential transfer to Medicaid for the remaining period if full Medicaid eligibility arises.
- 2Continuous eligibility for children ages 6 through 18 under both Medicaid and CHIP, with a separate, longer continuous period for former foster youth up to age 26.
- 3CHIP amendment aligning its continuous eligibility rules with Medicaid (replacing a fixed 1-year period with the notion of an “applicable” continuous period).
- 4Administrative requirement to update contact information at least annually for enrollees in a continuous eligibility period and to notify them about their enrollment status and remaining duration.
- 5Effective date of the amendments: they take effect one year after enactment.
- 6Transitional adjustment for former foster youth: specific timing rules to apply the extended coverage to those who turn 18 on or after, or before, enactment, with a 180-day transition provision for certain groups.