UPMC Health Plan Expands Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Plans to 16 Additional Counties in Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH (Jan. 15, 2020) – UPMC for Kids, Pennsylvania’s largest Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) plan with the highest number of enrolled children and teens, recently announced that it has expanded to 16 additional counties across the commonwealth to better serve the health care needs of children.

The new expansion includes 15 counties in Northeastern Pa. – Bradford, Clinton, Juniata, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties – as well as Chester County in Southeastern Pa.

Currently, UPMC for Kids covers more than 40,000 CHIP members across 57 counties throughout Pa., including all Western Pa. counties, and has among the lowest premiums in the state. UPMC for Kids also has the lowest-priced premiums in eight of the 16 expansion counties.

UPMC for Kids coverage includes in-network access to UPMC’s network of hospitals and doctors—such as UPMC Susquehanna—along with UPMC Health Plan’s award-winning customer service and Health Care Concierge programs. Members also have access to the 24-hour UPMC MyHealth Nurse Line as well as UPMC AnywhereCare for face-to-face online access to high-quality care.

“Our UPMC for Kids CHIP plans focus on providing access to affordable, high-quality care for children and teenagers,” said John Lovelace, president of government programs at UPMC Health Plan. “The recent expansion into 16 new counties will allow us to serve even more Pennsylvania families who are seeking comprehensive and accessible health care.”

Additional enhanced benefits are also offered to all UPMC for Kids members, including Health Management Programs to help properly monitor conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and ADHD; and MyHealth OnLine, the secure website that includes members’ most current benefit information along with access to online tools for related health topics.

Throughout the year, UPMC for Kids offers a range of wellness events at the 10 UPMC Health Plan Connect Center retail spaces across the commonwealth, including its new Connect Center in the Loyal Plaza in Williamsport, Pa. Wellness events cover a wide range of topics, including weight management, healthy eating, smoking cessation, heart disease, mental health, and much more. For a complete listing of wellness events, please visit www.upmchealthplan.com/connect-centers.

Parents or guardians can apply for CHIP coverage in several ways, including calling UPMC for Kids at 1-800-978-8762 or the Department of Human Services’ CHIP help line at 1-800-986-KIDS; applying online at www.compass.state.pa.us; submitting a paper application directly to UPMC for Kids; or requesting a transfer to UPMC for Kids from another CHIP managed care organization.

CHIP was established in the 1990s to provide health coverage to families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but who cannot afford or do not have access to private coverage. CHIP has a rolling enrollment period, unlike other plans such as Medicare, Marketplace, and many commercial plans that have open enrollment periods. Families must renew coverage every year and will qualify for one of three levels of CHIP, including free, low-cost, and full-cost CHIP. There is no income limit for CHIP availability.

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About UPMC Insurance Services Division

The UPMC Insurance Services Division is owned and operated by the UPMC, a world-renowned health care provider and insurer based in Pittsburgh, Pa. The UPMC Insurance Services Division—which includes UPMC Health Plan, WorkPartners, UPMC for Life, UPMC for You, UPMC for Kids, and Community Care Behavioral Health—offers a full range of group health insurance, Medicare, Special Needs, CHIP, Medical Assistance, behavioral health, employee assistance, and workers' compensation products and services to 3.6 million members. For more information, visit www.upmchealthplan.com.