Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) State Plan

Current CHIP State Plan

• CHIP State Plan
• CHIP Dental Coverage

Proposed CHIP State Plan Amendments

Approved CHIP State Plan Amendments

MS SPA 23-0017-CHIP Adult Vaccine Attestation approved by CMS
State Plan Amendment (SPA) 23-0017-CHIP Adult Vaccine Attestation was submitted to comply with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) requirement for the Division of Medicaid to attest to the coverage of all Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended vaccines and their administration in the CHIP program, effective October 1, 2023.

MS SPA 23-CHIP-0016 CHIP Postpartum approved by CMS
State Plan Amendment (SPA) MS-23-CHIP-0016 was submitted to provide continuous 12-month postpartum coverage for pregnant women in CHIP, effective April 1, 2023.

MS SPA 23-CHIP-0015 for Coverage Required by the American Rescue Plan Act
CMS approved MS SPA 23-CHIP-0015 on June 22, 2023. The purpose of this SPA is to demonstrate compliance with the American Rescue Plan Act which includes coverage of treatment, testing, and vaccinations for COVID-19 without cost sharing in CHIP, effective July 1, 2022.

MS SPA 20-0015-CHIP Behavioral Health 
CMS approved MS SPA 20-0015-CHIP Behavioral Health on September 1, 2021. Children’s Health Insurance Program State Plan Amendment (SPA) 20-0015-CHIP Behavioral Health was submitted to allow the Division of Medicaid to include mental health coverage as a mandatory benefit for all CHIP beneficiaries. Mandatory coverage will include services necessary to prevent, diagnose and treat a broad range of mental health symptoms and disorders, including substance use disorders, effective July 22, 2020.

MS SPA 20-0013-CHIP Benchmark Coverage effective November 1, 2019
CMS approved SPA 20-0013-CHIP Benchmark Coverage on July 28, 2020. SPA 20-0013-CHIP Benchmark Coverage allows the Division of Medicaid (DOM) to maintain Secretary-approved coverage but switch to “other” Secretary-approved coverage at 6.1.4.7. This change in the “benchmark” is to simplify the state’s managed care contract review process by specifying in the CHIP State Plan that the services offered are identical to Medicaid with the following noted exceptions/exclusions: Non-Emergency Transportation (NET), Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT), Mississippi Youth Programs Around the Clock (MYPAC) and Community Service Programs (CSP). There are no substantive benefit changes, effective November 1, 2019.

MS SPA 20-0014-CHIP COVID-19 Eligibility and Cost-Sharing during an Emergency
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved SPA 20-0014-CHIP COVID-19 Eligibility and Cost-Sharing During an Emergency on July 22, 2020. SPA 20-0014-CHIP allows the Division of Medicaid to implement temporary adjustments to enrollment and redetermination during Governor or federally-declared disasters and waive certain cost-sharing during the COVID-19 emergency effective March 18, 2020.

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) State Plan Amendment (SPA) 19-0011 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA)
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) State Plan Amendment (SPA)19-0011 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) was approved by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to allow the Division of Medicaid (DOM) to demonstrate compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) final rule as it relates to the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), effective July 1, 2018.

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) State Plan Amendment (SPA)18-0010 Health Services Initiatives
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) State Plan Amendment (SPA)18-0010 was approved by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to allow the Division of Medicaid (DOM) to cover vision services for low-income children throughout the state at certain Mississippi schools when provided by qualified CHIP providers, effective October 1, 2019.

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) State Plan Amendment (SPA) 19-0012 Managed Care
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) State Plan Amendment (SPA) 19-0012 Managed Care has been approved by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to be in compliance with the final Medicaid and CHIP managed care regulations published May 6, 2016. The effective date of MS SPA 19-0012-CHIP is July 1, 2018.

Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) SPA 15-0014 Mississippi Application for Health Benefits Revision
Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) State Plan Amendment (SPA) 15-0014 Mississippi Application for Health Benefits Revision has been approved to include in the Mississippi Application for Health Benefits the beneficiary’s choice of a preferred Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) or auto-assignment to a CCO, and to include language to satisfy Medicaid regulations governing the single, streamlined Medicaid application.

CHIP SPA #9
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) State Plan Amendment (SPA) #9 was approved April 17, 2015, and complies with 42 CFR § 457.60 and Miss. Code Ann. §§ 41-86-9 and 43-13-117. House Bill 1275, passed in the 2014 Legislative Session, authorized the Division of Medicaid to implement these changes to include administration and management of the separate CHIP health plan by Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs).

CHIP SPA #8
State Plan Amendment (SPA) 13-008 Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Amendment #8 with an effective date of January 1, 2013, includes the following changes:
Section 3.1 – “Organization and Management” includes the language regarding transferring the administration of the CHIP program to the Division of Medicaid (DOM) from the Health Insurance Management Board as required by HB 316 from the 2012 legislative session.

Section 6.2.1.1 DC – Dental Coverage describes the covered dental benefits for beneficiaries enrolled in CHIP.  The inclusion of these benefits does not represent a change.  CHIPRA legislation (the most recent reauthorization of the CHIP program, P.L. 111-3) required each CHIP program to include “coverage of dental services necessary to prevent disease and promote oral health, restore oral structures to health and function, and treat emergency conditions.”  MS CHIP is compliant with this coverage but CMS is requiring a description of the dental coverage included in the CHIP State Plan.

Section 7.2.2 describes access to covered services including emergency services.  CMS requests MS to update the language in this section to clarify both emergent and non-emergent care is available in an ER.

• CHIP SPA MS-13-0009 MAGI Eligibility and Methods
• CHIP SPA MS-13-0010 XXI Medicaid Expansion
• CHIP SPA MS-13-0011 Establish 2101(f) Group
• CHIP SPA MS-13-0012 CHIP Eligibility Processing
• CHIP SPA MS-13-0013 Non-Financial Eligibility

CHIP SPA #7
This State Plan Amendment was implemented January 1, 2010 and was filed because the benchmark definition requires that any applicable benefit changes made to the State and School Employees Health Insurance Plan be consequently implemented with the CHIP.