Corporate Compliance

GOV’T AUDIT INSIDER: Uninsured children in Virginia

Healthcare Auditing Weekly, August 24, 2004

Virginia has an opportunity to enroll uninsured children in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), according to an Office of the Inspector General (OIG) audit report.  The Child Support Performance and Incentive Act of 1998 encourages states to provide health coverage to uninsured children and enroll them in SCHIP.  In cases where children receive child support (Title IV-D children) and are enrolled in SCHIP, states require noncustodial parents to contribute toward the cost of the SCHIP benefits.  An audit conducted from June 10, 2002, through May 1, 2003, determined that 14,804 children would have been eligible for SCHIP had no other insurance been available.  Of those, 9,929 of them had noncustodial parents who could have potentially contributed money to premiums that would have been incurred had they been enrolled.  OIG recommends that Virginia use the Title IV-D office as an enrollment tool for SCHIP and broaden its authority to require noncustodial parents to pay all or some of the premium costs.  During the audit, the OIG did the following: 

  • Reviewed a sample of 200 Title IV-D children who did not receive SCHIP benefits

  • Reviewed a sample of 100 Title IV-D children who received SCHIP benefits while in a managed care plan

  • Reviewed federal and state laws, regulations, policies, and procedures

  • Interviewed officials from the Department of Social Services' Division of Child Support Services and the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services

  • Examined state records related to sampled items

  • Tested the accuracy and completeness of data obtained

  • Identified noncustodial parents who met the review criteria

  • Calculated potential savings to the state and federal government

  • Determined the child support reduction resulting from increased noncustodial parent medical support payments

    Click here to read the audit report, "Review of the ability of noncustodial parents to contribute toward the medical costs of Title IV-D children under the State Children's Health Insurance Program" (A-03-02-00203), released July 21.

      • Strategies for Health Care Compliance

    • Strategies for Health Care Compliance

      News and real-life examples to increase the effectiveness of your compliance program. Strategies for Health Care Compliance...

    • Compliance Monitor

      This HTML e-mail newsletter delivers news on Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse, as well as recent documents and targets...

    • Medicare Weekly Update

      Each issue of Medicare Weekly Update includes the latest CMS proposed and final rules, CMS manual revisions, and...

    • Medicare Update for Physician Services

      Medicare Update for Physician Services is a free, monthly e-zine that delivers news and information to help physician...

    Most Popular

    Related Articles