IMPROVED AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION REGARDING ENROLLMENT OF CHILDREN IN CHIP AND MEDICAID.

SEC. 402. IMPROVED AVAILABILITY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION REGARDING ENROLLMENT OF CHILDREN IN CHIP AND MEDICAID.(a) Inclusion of Process and Access Measures in Annual State Reports.—Section 2108 (42 U.S.C. 1397hh) is amended—(1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “The State” and inserting “Subject to subsection (e), the State”; and(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:“(e) Information Required for Inclusion in State Annual Report.—The State shall include the following information in the annual report required under subsection (a):“(1) Eligibility criteria, enrollment, and retention data (including data with respect to continuity of coverage or duration of benefits).“(2) Data regarding the extent to which the State uses process measures with respect to determining the eligibility of children under the State child health plan, including measures such as 12-month continuous eligibility, self-declaration of income for applications or renewals, or presumptive eligibility.“(3) Data regarding denials of eligibility and redeterminations of eligibility.123 STAT. 83“(4) Data regarding access to primary and specialty services, access to networks of care, and care coordination provided under the State child health plan, using quality care and consumer satisfaction measures included in the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey.“(5) If the State provides child health assistance in the form of premium assistance for the purchase of coverage under a group health plan, data regarding the provision of such assistance, including the extent to which employer-sponsored health insurance coverage is available for children eligible for child health assistance under the State child health plan, the range of the monthly amount of such assistance provided on behalf of a child or family, the number of children or families provided such assistance on a monthly basis, the income of the children or families provided such assistance, the benefits and cost-sharing protection provided under the State child health plan to supplement the coverage purchased with such premium assistance, the effective strategies the State engages in to reduce any administrative barriers to the provision of such assistance, and, the effects, if any, of the provision of such assistance on preventing the coverage provided under the State child health plan from substituting for coverage provided under employer-sponsored health insurance offered in the State.“(6) To the extent applicable, a description of any State activities that are designed to reduce the number of uncovered children in the State, including through a State health insurance connector program or support for innovative private health coverage initiatives.”.(b) Standardized Reporting Format.—(1) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall specify a standardized format for States to use for reporting the information required under section 2108(e) of the Social Security Act, as added by subsection (a)(2).(2) Transition period for states.—Each State that is required to submit a report under subsection (a) of section 2108 of the Social Security Act that includes the information required under subsection (e) of such section may use up to 3 reporting periods to transition to the reporting of such information in accordance with the standardized format specified by the Secretary under paragraph (1).(c) Additional Funding for the Secretary To Improve Timeliness of Data Reporting and Analysis for Purposes of Determining Enrollment Increases Under Medicaid and CHIP.—(1) Appropriation.—There is appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $5,000,000 to the Secretary for fiscal year 2009 for the purpose of improving the timeliness of the data reported and analyzed from the Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS) for purposes of providing more timely data on enrollment and eligibility of children under Medicaid and CHIP and to provide guidance to States with respect to any new reporting requirements related to such improvements. Amounts appropriated under this paragraph shall remain available until expended.(2) Requirements.—The improvements made by the Secretary under paragraph (1) shall be designed and implemented (including with respect to any necessary guidance for States 123 STAT. 84 to report such information in a complete and expeditious manner) so that, beginning no later than October 1, 2009, data regarding the enrollment of low-income children (as defined in section 2110(c)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397jj(c)(4)) of a State enrolled in the State plan under Medicaid or the State child health plan under CHIP with respect to a fiscal year shall be collected and analyzed by the Secretary within 6 months of submission.(d) GAO Study and Report on Access to Primary and Speciality Services.—(1) In general.—The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study of children’s access to primary and specialty services under Medicaid and CHIP, including—(A) the extent to which providers are willing to treat children eligible for such programs;(B) information on such children’s access to networks of care;(C) geographic availability of primary and specialty services under such programs;(D) the extent to which care coordination is provided for children’s care under Medicaid and CHIP; and(E) as appropriate, information on the degree of availability of services for children under such programs.(2) Report.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit a report to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives on the study conducted under paragraph (1) that includes recommendations for such Federal and State legislative and administrative changes as the Comptroller General determines are necessary to address any barriers to access to children’s care under Medicaid and CHIP that may exist.