Review of Availability of Health Insurance for Title IV-D Children

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

This final audit report points out that Connecticut has the opportunity to increase the number of noncustodial parents (NCPs) providing medical support for their children while at the same time reducing Medicaid costs by an estimated $11.4 million per year. Many noncustodial parents, while required by court order to provide health coverage for their children, were unable to meet this obligation because either their employers did not offer health insurance or private health insurance was not reasonable in cost. These barriers can be overcome, however, if the State requires NCPs to pay for all or a part of the Medicaid premiums now paid by the State, or if the State established a new comprehensive health insurance plan for children with reasonable premiums paid by the NCPs. We recommended such options to the State. The State concurred with our findings and our first recommended option to require NCPs to pay all or part of the premiums for their children enrolled in Medicaid. State officials indicated they will move to consider a legislative change and budget option that addresses this recommendation for the 1999 legislative session.

---