Every Medicaid program has a portion that is designed to cover children who come from low-income families. Often, this part is called CHIP, but some states call it a different name. In Alabama, the Medicaid program that covers children is called All Kids.
Medicaid is a public, or government run, health insurance program. It is designed to cover individuals and families that are low-income and who cannot afford to purchase a health insurance plan from a private company. Medicaid is funded, in part, by the federal government. It is also funded by the government of an individual state.
In Alabama, the Medicaid program is administered by the Alabama Medicaid Agency. The portion of Medicaid that covers kids is called All Kids. It is a low-cost, comprehensive health care coverage program for children who are under age 19.
In order to qualify for All Kids, a child must be under the age of 19. The child must also be a United States citizen or an eligible immigrant. Children who are covered by another form of health insurance are not eligible to be covered by All Kids. A child who is covered by, or eligible for, Medicaid cannot be covered by All Kids. Children who are residents in an institution also cannot be covered by All Kids.
There are income guidelines that must be met. There is a chart that makes it clear what the income limits are, based on how many people are in the household.
It is not a good idea for a parent to drop his or her health insurance coverage in the hope of having their child covered by All Kids. Those who voluntarily drop their group health insurance coverage will discover that their child will have a three month waiting period before they can apply for All Kids.
This waiting period is waived in cases of termination of coverage from COBRA and private / nongroup insurance. The waiting period is also waived in situations where private insurance is cancelled because the child has exhausted lifetime benefits.
All Kids is a comprehensive health coverage program. Benefits include 12 months continuous coverage, doctor visits, check-ups, hospital and physician care, mental health and substance abuse services, immunizations, prescriptions, dental and vision care, and emergency services. Not all Medicaid programs that cover children include coverage for mental health, so it is nice to see that Alabama will cover it.
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