ACA Title 1, Sec. 1413. Streamlining of procedures for enrollment through an exchange and state Medicaid, CHIP, and health subsidy programs: “Good” – If it leads to simplification in program administration. This provision again makes sense on the surface. Let’s make the process of matching potential eligibles with the appropriate public program streamlined, but wouldn’t it be better if this also led to a simplification of those public programs? If Medicaid is undergoing a significant expansion and it already includes children why not roll the CHIP (Children’s Health Improvement Program) into it? The only reason we are maintaining it as a separate entity is so that a group of politicians/administrators can claim that they did something to help children. If the streamlining of eligibility determination can be carried out lets use it as an opportunity to reduce the sizable amount of duplication among health programs at the federal and state level. Make sense?

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