Isle medical aid plans get
more traffic with ‘pinkie’Enrollment is up after a new form
expedites insurance enrollment
A new simplified application form dubbed "pinkie" has helped to boost enrollment of children, youths and pregnant women in the state's medical assistance programs, the state Department of Human Services has reported.
An additional 1,600 children and youths were signed up for free medical assistance between January and March, the agency said.
The form also expedited processing of applications within five business days for 303 pregnant women in February, DHS Director Lillian Koller said. "This 97 percent processing speed and efficiency exceeds our promise of a 95 percent success rate."
DHS collaborated with the children's health insurance advocacy group Hawaii Covering Kids and other state, federal and community organizations to create and implement the pink application.
It removes a requirement to provide information on absent parents and other unnecessary questions that obstructed enrollment of children and pregnant women in the Med-QUEST and Fee-for-Service health programs.
It also includes a request for bilingual and sign interpreter services in 15 languages.
Barbara Luksch, Hawaii Covering Kids Project director, said reaction "has been overwhelmingly positive because the unnecessary question on absent parents is eliminated, and families are no longer hesitant to apply for health insurance for their children."
For information about family income limits for QUEST and Medicaid health insurance, log on to www.coveringkids.com or call 211, Aloha United Way's free hot-line service.