Division of Medicaid to Implement New CHIP Contracts, Effective Nov. 1, 2019

Date: 08/12/19

On Nov. 1, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) will implement new three-year contracts for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Although DOM’s coordinated care program, MississippiCAN, includes three care coordination organizations (CCOs), CHIP will continue to be administered by two vendors because it has a smaller number of members. A little over 46,000 Mississippi children are currently enrolled in CHIP. However, providers should be aware that there is one important change: Molina Healthcare will replace Magnolia Health as one of the two CCOs. UnitedHealthcare Community Plan will continue to serve as the other CHIP vendor. This only applies to CHIP; all three plans will continue to participate in MississippiCAN.

The new CHIP contracts with Molina Healthcare and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan will become operational on Nov. 1, 2019. CHIP beneficiaries currently enrolled with the outgoing CHIP CCO, Magnolia Health Plan, will receive a letter giving them the opportunity to choose between Molina Healthcare and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. If a CHIP beneficiary does not respond, they will be assigned to Molina Healthcare.

All CHIP beneficiaries can select which plan they want during annual open enrollment which will be held in October through December with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2020.

As always, DOM encourages providers to enroll in all Mississippi Medicaid programs and wants providers to be aware that Molina Healthcare will be providing CHIP services come Nov. 1, 2019. For more information about CHIP, visit our website at https://medicaid.ms.gov/programs/childrens-health-insurance-program-chip/.

Division of Medidcaid - CHIP Announcement (PDF)