‘Webinar’ informs tribes of Healthy Kids Montana Plan

By Lailani Upham

HELENA — Tribal Health officials including tribal leaders throughout Montana took part in a first-time webinar on Friday morning to discuss the implementation of the Healthy Kids Montana Plan, due to begin October 1, 2009.

The plan is expected to bring big changes to the Children’s Health Insurance Plan and Medicaid by adding more Montana children to health coverage, since income eligibility levels are being raised.

In November, Montana residents passed Initiative 155, the Healthy Montana Kids Plan, to expand and coordinate coverage for uninsured children under Medicaid and CHIP.

The estimated cost to the state is $20 to $22 million for the first year, which will bring in additional federal matching funds. The state portion will come from a share of Montana’s insurance premium tax.

In accordance with the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey, the Montana CHIP enrollment was 17,240 and Medicaid enrollment 46,645 children, leaving a near 31,000 kids uninsured in November 2008.

The plan is expected to reach most of the uninsured Montana children, which could expand CHIP and Medicaid by 50 percent.

The webinar was hosted by the Department of Public Health and Human Services to get the word out to native families, as well as seek out enrollment partners within tribal communities for HMK, according to Director of Indian Affairs, Jennifer Perez Cole.

The state is hoping to boost the use of enrollment partners to help spot out and enroll eligible children through tribal leaders, tribal health departments, Indian Health Service officials and Urban Indian Health centers throughout Montana.

Healthy Montana Kids Plan Bureau Chief, Jackie Forba says DPHHS staff would like to visit Flathead and each of the reservations in Indian country to talk about HMK. Forba anticipates the visits could begin in early August but have not made arrangements through tribal leaders yet.

Interested parties who wish to take the enrollment partner training that will begin in July may reach CHIP Community Relations Manager Mike Mahoney at Mmahoney@mt.gov or call (406) 444-7877.

Families interested in learning more about the plan are urged to call the toll free number, 1-877-KIDSNOW.