Colorado will receive $26 million in federal funds to provide health insurance for more children, U.S. Health and Human Services officials said Wednesday.
The money — funded through one of the first laws signed by President Barack Obama in 2009 — was announced a week after new data show the number of uninsured kids nationwide has increased by 1.2 million in two years.
Colorado is one of 23 states to share $296 million. States qualify for the “performance bonus payments” by surpassing Medicaid enrollment targets and making it easier for eligible kids to enroll in government insurance programs. The money helps offset costs states incur when they enroll lower-income children in Medicaid. This is Colorado’s second year to receive a bonus. The state received $13.7 million in 2010.
Colorado now uses the same forms to apply for Medicaid or the state health insurance plan for children, and applicants are not required to appear for an in-person interview. The state also lets children see a doctor or get a prescription before their application for insurance receives final approval.
