Covering Kids Act of 2005 - Amends title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to: (1) conduct innovative outreach and enrollment efforts that are designed to increase the enrollment and participation of eligible children under SCHIP; and (2) promote understanding of the importance of health insurance coverage for prenatal care and children.
Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to grant a state the option to provide for simplified determinations of a child's financial eligibility for medical assistance under Medicaid or child health assistance under SCHIP.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1049 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1049
To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to provide grants to
promote innovative outreach and enrollment under the medicaid and State
children's health insurance programs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 17, 2005
Mr. Frist (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Lugar, Ms. Cantwell, Mr.
Santorum, Ms. Collins, Mr. Cochran, Mrs. Murray, and Mrs. Feinstein)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to provide grants to
promote innovative outreach and enrollment under the medicaid and State
children's health insurance programs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Covering Kids Act of 2005''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO PROMOTE INNOVATIVE OUTREACH AND ENROLLMENT UNDER
MEDICAID AND SCHIP.
(a) Grants for Expanded Outreach Activities.--Title XXI of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``SEC. 2111. EXPANDED OUTREACH ACTIVITIES.
``(a) Grants To Conduct Innovative Outreach and Enrollment
Efforts.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities to--
``(A) conduct innovative outreach and enrollment
efforts that are designed to increase the enrollment
and participation of eligible children under this title
and title XIX; and
``(B) promote understanding of the importance of
health insurance coverage for prenatal care and
children.
``(2) Performance bonuses.--The Secretary may reserve a
portion of the funds appropriated under subsection (g) for a
fiscal year for the purpose of awarding performance bonuses
during the succeeding fiscal year to eligible entities that
meet enrollment goals or other criteria established by the
Secretary.
``(b) Priority for Award of Grants.--
``(1) In general.--In making grants under subsection
(a)(1), the Secretary shall give priority to--
``(A) eligible entities that propose to target
geographic areas with high rates of--
``(i) eligible but unenrolled children,
including such children who reside in rural
areas; or
``(ii) racial and ethnic minorities and
health disparity populations, including those
proposals that address cultural and linguistic
barriers to enrollment; and
``(B) eligible entities that plan to engage in
outreach efforts with respect to individuals described
in subparagraph (A) and that are--
``(i) Federal health safety net
organizations; or
``(ii) faith-based organizations or
consortia.
``(2) 10 percent set aside for outreach to indian
children.--An amount equal to 10 percent of the funds
appropriated under subsection (g) for a fiscal year shall be
used by the Secretary to award grants to Indian Health Service
providers and urban Indian organizations receiving funds under
title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C.
1651 et seq.) for outreach to, and enrollment of, children who
are Indians.
``(c) Application.--An eligible entity that desires to receive a
grant under subsection (a)(1) shall submit an application to the
Secretary in such form and manner, and containing such information, as
the Secretary may decide. Such application shall include--
``(1) quality and outcomes performance measures to evaluate
the effectiveness of activities funded by a grant awarded under
this section to ensure that the activities are meeting their
goals; and
``(2) an assurance that the entity shall--
``(A) conduct an assessment of the effectiveness of
such activities against such performance measures; and
``(B) cooperate with the collection and reporting
of enrollment data and other information determined as
a result of conducting such assessments to the
Secretary, in such form and manner as the Secretary
shall require.
``(d) Dissemination of Enrollment Data and Information Determined
From Effectiveness Assessments; Annual Report.--The Secretary shall--
``(1) disseminate to eligible entities and make publicly
available the enrollment data and information collected and
reported in accordance with subsection (c)(2)(B); and
``(2) submit an annual report to Congress on the outreach
activities funded by grants awarded under this section.
``(e) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Federal funds awarded under this
section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, non-Federal funds
that are otherwise available for activities funded under this section.
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means
any of the following:
``(A) A State or local government.
``(B) A Federal health safety net organization.
``(C) A national, local, or community-based public
or nonprofit private organization.
``(D) A faith-based organization or consortia, to
the extent that a grant awarded to such an entity is
consistent with the requirements of section 1955 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x-65) relating
to a grant award to non-governmental entities.
``(E) An elementary or secondary school.
``(2) Federal health safety net organization.--The term
`Federal health safety net organization' means--
``(A) an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or an
urban Indian organization receiving funds under title V
of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C.
1651 et seq.), or an Indian Health Service provider;
``(B) a Federally-qualified health center (as
defined in section 1905(l)(2)(B));
``(C) a hospital defined as a disproportionate
share hospital for purposes of section 1923;
``(D) a covered entity described in section
340B(a)(4) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
256b(a)(4)); and
``(E) any other entity or a consortium that serves
children under a federally-funded program, including
the special supplemental nutrition program for women,
infants, and children (WIC) established under section
17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786),
the head start and early head start programs under the
Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9801 et seq.), the school
lunch program established under the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act, and an elementary or
secondary school.
``(3) Indians; indian tribe; tribal organization; urban
indian organization.--The terms `Indian', `Indian tribe',
`tribal organization', and `urban Indian organization' have the
meanings given such terms in section 4 of the Indian Health
Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).
``(g) Appropriation.--There is appropriated, out of any money in
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $50,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2006 and 2007 for the purpose of awarding grants under this
section. Amounts appropriated and paid under the authority of this
section shall be in addition to amounts appropriated under section 2104
and paid to States in accordance with section 2105, including with
respect to expenditures for outreach activities in accordance with
subsection (a)(1)(D)(iii) of that section.''.
(b) Extending Use of Outstationed Workers To Accept Title XXI
Applications.--Section 1902(a)(55) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1396a(a)(55)) is amended by striking ``or (a)(10)(A)(ii)(IX)''
and inserting ``(a)(10)(A)(ii)(IX), or (a)(10)(A)(ii)(XIV), and
applications for child health assistance under title XXI''.
SEC. 3. STATE OPTION TO PROVIDE FOR SIMPLIFIED DETERMINATIONS OF A
CHILD'S FINANCIAL ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
UNDER MEDICAID OR CHILD HEALTH ASSISTANCE UNDER SCHIP.
(a) Medicaid.--Section 1902(e) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1396a(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(13)(A) At the option of the State, the plan may provide
that financial eligibility requirements for medical assistance
are met for a child who is under an age specified by the State
(not to exceed 21 years of age) by using a determination made
within a reasonable period (as determined by the State) before
its use for this purpose, of the child's family or household
income, or if applicable for purposes of determining
eligibility under this title or title XXI, assets or resources,
by a Federal or State agency, or a public or private entity
making such determination on behalf of such agency, specified
by the plan, including (but not limited to) an agency
administering the State program funded under part A of title
IV, the Food Stamp Act of 1977, the Richard B. Russell National
School Lunch Act, or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966,
notwithstanding any differences in budget unit, disregard,
deeming, or other methodology, but only if--
``(i) the agency has fiscal liabilities or
responsibilities affected or potentially affected by
such determination; and
``(ii) any information furnished by the agency
pursuant to this subparagraph is used solely for
purposes of determining financial eligibility for
medical assistance under this title or for child health
assistance under title XXI.
``(B) Nothing in subparagraph (A) shall be construed--
``(i) to authorize the denial of medical assistance
under this title or of child health assistance under
title XXI to a child who, without the application of
this paragraph, would qualify for such assistance;
``(ii) to relieve a State of the obligation under
subsection (a)(8) to furnish medical assistance with
reasonable promptness after the submission of an
initial application that is evaluated or for which
evaluation is requested pursuant to this paragraph;
``(iii) to relieve a State of the obligation to
determine eligibility for medical assistance under this
title or for child health assistance under title XXI on
a basis other than family or household income (or, if
applicable, assets or resources) if a child is
determined ineligible for such assistance on the basis
of information furnished pursuant to this paragraph; or
``(iv) as affecting the applicability of any non-
financial requirements for eligibility for medical
assistance under this title or child health assistance
under title XXI.''.
(b) SCHIP.--Section 2107(e)(1) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1397gg(e)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(E) Section 1902(e)(13) (relating to the State
option to base a determination of child's financial
eligibility for assistance on financial determinations
made by a program providing nutrition or other public
assistance).''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section take
effect on October 1, 2005.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5302-5303)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text as measure as introduced: CR S5303-5304)
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