As part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Congress offered states the opportunity to design a health insurance program to meet the needs of uninsured children. Title 21 was signed creating the State Children Health Insurance Program, also known as SCHIP.

SCHIP is a Federal/State partnership, similar to Medicaid. The goal is to expand health insurance access to children whose family income exceeds Medicaid guidelines. For some families private insurance is not available or affordable.

In late 1998 an estimated 60,000 children were uninsured in Kansas. The state needed a way to find these uninsured children and provide a program designed to promote a healthy life-style.

HealthWave 21 was created for uninsured children, ages 0 - 19, living in households with income levels at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Within the first year, 15,500 of those children and teens were found eligible for HealthWave 21. In addition, through HealthWave Outreach efforts, an additional 17,000 previously uninsured children were found to be eligible for Kansas Medicaid also known as HealthWave 19. As of the end of 2005 over 37,000 children were eligible for HealthWave 21 benefits.

HealthWave provides a one-page application allowing families with children the opportunity to apply and see which program they may qualify for; HealthWave 21 or HealthWave 19 (Medicaid). The application process is easy and there is no cost to apply. The HealthWave Clearinghouse provides a toll-free Customer Service Center to answer questions and provide assistance with the application.

If you have uninsured children, call us or print an application.