CRIHB Health Policy

4400 Auburn Blvd., 2nd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95841
(916) 929-9761

Last Modified: January 30, 2008

Health Policy

Healthy Families Waiver of Monthly Premium for American Indians

(Excerpt from Jim Crouch's Executive Directors Report to Board of Directors April 15, 2000)

The CRIHB led implementation of formal waiver of all premiums and co-payments for the Healthy Families Program continues with some minor setbacks. The regulatory change necessary to formalize this new policy has been delayed but should be finalized by May. The CRIHB HIFO project is under way and has resulted in contracts with three member Tribal Health Programs to fund intake workers for the Healthy Families Program. The Seedco funded VISTA worker, Jacob Guth, reports that 28 children were enrolled in the first month of activity. This number should continue to grow, if not explode, as awareness of this "no cost" health insurance expands. To date, no reimbursements have been made from Kellogg Foundation funds to newly enrolled Healthy Families participants, although, at least two Tribal Health Programs are reported to be preparing requests for reimbursements. Enrollment kits and advertising materials have been distributed to all CRIHB member programs and presentations have been made at four sites. The real utility to Tribal Health Programs of maximizing Healthy Families enrollment is in avoiding CHS costs, not in the increase of third party funds. Reimbursements for Healthy Children covered children from Blue Cross is only about $15.00 per visit. The low level of this reimbursement is a major motivation for forming an Indian controlled Knox-Keene licensed managed care organization. [end]

Text from 5/8/00 letter (date stamped 5/11/00) written by:
Irma Michel, Deputy Director, Eligibility, Outreach & Marketing
The California Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board
1000 G Street, Suite 450
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916)324-4695 FAX: 916-324-4878

letter reads as follows:

Dear Tribal Chairperson:

The Healthy Families Program is sending you this letter to advise you of changes to the Healthy Families Program that may impact American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) families.

The Healthy Families Program ahs received new instructions from the federal government regarding American Indian or Alaskan Native children. These new instructions inform the Healthy Families Program to provide a special discount to families of American Indian and Alaskan Native heritage. This special discount will allow an American Indian or Alaskan Native family, who is eligible for the Healthy Families Program, to participate in our program without paying a monthly premium.

American Indians or Alaskan Natives applying for the Healthy Families Program or already enrolled in our program, will no longer have to pay a monthly premium when they provide the Healthy Families Program with proof of their heritage for themselves or their Healthy Families eligible child. Once we have received and reviewed the proof of American Indian or Alaskan Native heritage the entire family will be eligible for this special discount.

In addition, beginning in July 2000, American Indian or Alaskan Native families will no longer be required to pay a co-payment when the child uses his/her Healthy Families Program health, dental or vision benefits.

To receive this special discount the applicant needs to send in proof of their American Indian or Alaskan Native heritage. The documents that the Healthy Families Program will accept are:

   1. An American Indian/Alaska Native enrollment document from a federally recognized tribe, or
   2. A CertificateDegree of Indian Blood (CDIB) from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or
   3. Certificate of Indian Heritage from an Indian Health Service facility operating in the State of California.

The Healthy Families Program encourages you to share this information with all those who may be entitled to this special discount. If more information is needed, please call the Healthy Families Program at 1-800-880-5305.

Sincerely,

(signature)

Irma Michel, Deputy Director
Eligibility, Outreach & Marketing

CRIHB · 4400 Auburn Blvd., 2nd Floor · Sacramento · CA 95841 · (916) 929-9761