The Alabama Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) offers affordable health insurance for children. The CHIP program of the state is known as “ALL Kids,” and children under the age of 19 can receive its health care coverage. For more information on the AL Children’s Health Insurance Program system, including how to apply for CHIP within the state, review the sections provided below. You can also download our free guide to access more in-depth information about CHIP.
What is the Children’s Health Insurance Program in Alabama?
The Alabama Children’s Health Insurance Program was created to provide low-cost health care to children of low-income families. The ALL Kids program allows you to choose the doctor and dentist of your choice within the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. The PPO includes a group of doctors that have enrolled as providers and offer their services at a prearranged rate specifically for the ALL Kids program participants. Dentists, pharmacies, hospitals and facilities for outpatient care are also included in this network. As such, those who do not receive Medicaid (or non Medicaid eligibility children) but do qualify for CHIP must stay within this network to use their ALL Kids coverage.
Is CHIP considered Medicaid in Alabama?
When looking into child coverage, “What is CHIP Medicaid?” is a question often asked by potential enrollees. However, it is important to note that CHIP and Medicaid are actually different programs offered by the state, although both do receive a combination of federal and state funding. One main difference is that the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in Alabama typically involves premiums and co-payments, while Medicaid for children typically does not require the payment of either. In any case, AL CHIP premiums are designed to be affordable for parents. The fee for your child’s benefits will be determined by your income level, according to the fee group you are assigned.
Who qualifies for CHIP in Alabama?
To receive Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage in Alabama, you must meet certain eligibility requirements. Before you can learn how to apply for Children’s Health Insurance Program benefits, you must verify that you are:
- Younger than 19 years of age.
- A resident of Alabama.
- A legal U.S. citizen or qualifying immigrant.
- Lacking other insurance coverage.
- Not an institutional resident.
- Not receiving Medicaid coverage.
- Not eligible for Medicaid benefits.
To learn about additional requirements for CHIP, download our free guide.
What services are covered by CHIP in Alabama?
If you are wondering, “What is covered by CHIP Medicaid in Alabama?” the first thing to note is that CHIP is not part of the Medicaid program. In any case, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is designed to offer your child various health benefits, including:
- Visits to the doctor.
- Routine checkups.
- Services for mental health.
- Services for substance abuse.
- Hospital stays.
- Physician care.
- Filling of prescriptions.
- Required immunizations.
- Visits to the dentist.
- Coverage of vision services.
- All emergency services.
Under the ALL Kids CHIP program, your child will be covered for 12 continuous months, beginning on the first day of the month following receipt of the required application.
How to Apply for CHIP in Alabama
You can learn how to apply for Alabama CHIP in various ways in order to choose an application method that is convenient for you. For instance, you can review how to apply for AL CHIP online, via fax or by mail. To apply online, you must visit the ALL Kids website and follow the prompts. To apply via fax, fill out the necessary application and send it to 334-206-3783. Finally, you can take this same application and mail it to the Department of Public Health at:
P.O. Box 304839
Montgomery, AL 36130-4839
Note that the CHIP and Medicaid enrollment process is the same, as both employ the same application form. As such, to find out their CHIP or Medicaid eligibility children need to submit the form in one of the above ways, and they will find out their coverage determination for both programs following the receipt of the application.
If you plan to fax or mail your application for CHIP and Medicaid enrollment, you can print the form online. You can also request to have the Medicaid and CHIP enrollment form mailed to you by calling the ALL Kids office at 1-888-373-5437 or by calling the Medicaid office at 1-800-362-1504. Furthermore, email requests for a CHIP and Medicaid enrollment form can be made to the Department of Public Health, which will send back the necessary application form upon receiving your email.