Families With Children Enrolled In CHIP Can Delay Move To Medicaid If They Choose

By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - The federal government is allowing the lowest-income families who are enrolled in Pennsylvania's health insurance program for children to keep their coverage through the end of the year.

The new federal health care law requires about 30,000 children in families earning between 100 to 133-percent of poverty level to move into Medicaid.

Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Mike Consadine says the feds have now agreed to allow those families the choice to remain in the state health insurance program, CHIP, through the end of the year.

"Let's give parents the choice of figuring out what really is best for their children. Medicaid in some cases may be a better choice for them. But in many cases people just like the coverage and the doctors they have with CHIP. So the goal here is to give them the information to make an informed choice."

Consadine says if the vast majority of parents to choose to keep their children in CHIP, he hopes federal officials will reconsider the requirement that they move into Medicaid.