§ 1397hh. Annual reports; evaluations

(a) Annual report

Subject to subsection (e), the State shall—

(1) assess the operation of the State plan under this subchapter in each fiscal year, including the progress made in reducing the number of uncovered low-income children; and

(2) report to the Secretary, by January 1 following the end of the fiscal year, on the result of the assessment.

(b) State evaluations

(1) In general

By March 31, 2000, each State that has a State child health plan shall submit to the Secretary an evaluation that includes each of the following:

(A) An assessment of the effectiveness of the State plan in increasing the number of children with creditable health coverage.

(B) A description and analysis of the effectiveness of elements of the State plan, including—

(i) the characteristics of the children and families assisted under the State plan including age of the children, family income, and the assisted child’s access to or coverage by other health insurance prior to the State plan and after eligibility for the State plan ends,

(ii) the quality of health coverage provided including the types of benefits provided,

(iii) the amount and level (including payment of part or all of any premium) of assistance provided by the State,

(iv) the service area of the State plan,

(v) the time limits for coverage of a child under the State plan,

(vi) the State’s choice of health benefits coverage and other methods used for providing child health assistance, and

(vii) the sources of non-Federal funding used in the State plan.

(C) An assessment of the effectiveness of other public and private programs in the State in increasing the availability of affordable quality individual and family health insurance for children.

(D) A review and assessment of State activities to coordinate the plan under this subchapter with other public and private programs providing health care and health care financing, including medicaid and maternal and child health services.

(E) An analysis of changes and trends in the State that affect the provision of accessible, affordable, quality health insurance and health care to children.

(F) A description of any plans the State has for improving the availability of health insurance and health care for children.

(G) Recommendations for improving the program under this subchapter.

(H) Any other matters the State and the Secretary consider appropriate.

(2) Report of the Secretary

The Secretary shall submit to Congress and make available to the public by December 31, 2001, a report based on the evaluations submitted by States under paragraph (1), containing any conclusions and recommendations the Secretary considers appropriate.

(1) In general

The Secretary, directly or through contracts or interagency agreements, shall conduct an independent evaluation of 10 States with approved child health plans.

(2) Selection of States

In selecting States for the evaluation conducted under this subsection, the Secretary shall choose 10 States that utilize diverse approaches to providing child health assistance, represent various geographic areas (including a mix of rural and urban areas), and contain a significant portion of uncovered children.

(3) Matters included

In addition to the elements described in subsection (b)(1) of this section, the evaluation conducted under this subsection shall include each of the following:

(A) Surveys of the target population (enrollees, disenrollees, and individuals eligible for but not enrolled in the program under this subchapter).

(B) Evaluation of effective and ineffective outreach and enrollment practices with respect to children (for both the program under this subchapter and the medicaid program under subchapter XIX of this chapter), and identification of enrollment barriers and key elements of effective outreach and enrollment practices, including practices (such as through community health workers and others) that have successfully enrolled hard-to-reach populations such as children who are eligible for medical assistance under subchapter XIX of this chapter but have not been enrolled previously in the medicaid program under that subchapter.

(C) Evaluation of the extent to which State medicaid eligibility practices and procedures under the medicaid program under subchapter XIX of this chapter are a barrier to the enrollment of children under that program, and the extent to which coordination (or lack of coordination) between that program and the program under this subchapter affects the enrollment of children under both programs.

(D) An assessment of the effect of cost-sharing on utilization, enrollment, and coverage retention.

(E) Evaluation of disenrollment or other retention issues, such as switching to private coverage, failure to pay premiums, or barriers in the recertification process.

(4) Submission to Congress

Not later than December 31, 2001, the Secretary shall submit to Congress the results of the evaluation conducted under this subsection.

(5) Subsequent evaluation using updated information

(A) In general

The Secretary, directly or through contracts or interagency agreements, shall conduct an independent subsequent evaluation of 10 States with approved child health plans.

(B) Selection of States and matters included

Paragraphs (2) and (3) shall apply to such subsequent evaluation in the same manner as such provisions apply to the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1).

Not later than December 31, 2011, the Secretary shall submit to Congress the results of the evaluation conducted under this paragraph.

(D) Funding

Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 for the purpose of conducting the evaluation authorized under this paragraph. Amounts appropriated under this subparagraph shall remain available for expenditure through fiscal year 2012.

(d) Access to records for IG and GAO audits and evaluations

For the purpose of evaluating and auditing the program established under this subchapter, or subchapter XIX, the Secretary, the Office of Inspector General, and the Comptroller General shall have access to any books, accounts, records, correspondence, and other documents that are related to the expenditure of Federal funds under this subchapter and that are in the possession, custody, or control of States receiving Federal funds under this subchapter or political subdivisions thereof, or any grantee or contractor of such States or political subdivisions.

(e) 1 Information required for inclusion in State annual report

The State shall include the following information in the annual report required under subsection (a):

(1) Eligibility criteria, enrollment, and retention data (including data with respect to continuity of coverage or duration of benefits).

(2) Data regarding the extent to which the State uses process measures with respect to determining the eligibility of children under the State child health plan, including measures such as 12-month continuous eligibility, self-declaration of income for applications or renewals, or presumptive eligibility.

(3) Data regarding denials of eligibility and redeterminations of eligibility.

(4) Data regarding access to primary and specialty services, access to networks of care, and care coordination provided under the State child health plan, using quality care and consumer satisfaction measures included in the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey.

(5) If the State provides child health assistance in the form of premium assistance for the purchase of coverage under a group health plan, data regarding the provision of such assistance, including the extent to which employer-sponsored health insurance coverage is available for children eligible for child health assistance under the State child health plan, the range of the monthly amount of such assistance provided on behalf of a child or family, the number of children or families provided such assistance on a monthly basis, the income of the children or families provided such assistance, the benefits and cost-sharing protection provided under the State child health plan to supplement the coverage purchased with such premium assistance, the effective strategies the State engages in to reduce any administrative barriers to the provision of such assistance, and,^[2] the effects, if any, of the provision of such assistance on preventing the coverage provided under the State child health plan from substituting for coverage provided under employer-sponsored health insurance offered in the State.

(6) To the extent applicable, a description of any State activities that are designed to reduce the number of uncovered children in the State, including through a State health insurance connector program or support for innovative private health coverage initiatives.

(e) 1 Information on dental care for children

(1) In general

Each annual report under subsection (a) shall include the following information with respect to care and services described in section 1396d (r)(3) of this title provided to targeted low-income children enrolled in the State child health plan under this subchapter at any time during the year involved:

(A) The number of enrolled children by age grouping used for reporting purposes under section 1396a (a)(43) of this title.

(B) For children within each such age grouping, information of the type contained in questions 12(a)–(c) of CMS Form 416 (that consists of the number of enrolled targeted low income children who receive any,^[2] preventive, or restorative dental care under the State plan).

(C) For the age grouping that includes children 8 years of age, the number of such children who have received a protective sealant on at least one permanent molar tooth.

(2) Inclusion of information on enrollees in managed care plans

The information under paragraph (1) shall include information on children who are enrolled in managed care plans and other private health plans and contracts with such plans under this subchapter shall provide for the reporting of such information by such plans to the State.

[1] So in original. Two subsecs. (e) have been enacted.

[2] So in original. The comma probably should not appear.

U.S. Code

§ 1397hh. Annual reports; evaluations