Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Louisiana program

Children’s coverage above the ordinary Medicaid limit (LaCHIP)

LaCHIP is Louisiana’s health insurance for uninsured children whose families earn above the ordinary Medicaid limit.

What it is

LaCHIP is Louisiana’s health insurance for uninsured children whose families earn above the ordinary Medicaid limit.

LaCHIP offers children’s health coverage above the ordinary Medicaid income limit. The same application checks both programs. Your child’s existing insurance and your current income affect the answer.

Eligibility rules
  • Your child must be under 19, uninsured and living in Louisiana.
  • The chart effective March 1, 2026 lists monthly limits of $3,914 for two people, $4,941 for three, $5,968 for four, $6,995 for five and $8,022 for six. The five-percentage-point allowance is included. The worker confirms the current category and income table.
  • An offer of ordinary employer insurance that you did not take is different from your child already having insurance. Access to a state employee plan needs a separate check, including dependent coverage. The Medicaid worker can confirm which rule applies before you change any coverage.
  • The income figures above took effect March 1, 2026. A later income-table update can change the screening amount.
What you get
  • Children’s hospital care, doctor visits and prescriptions.
  • The same children’s benefit package as Louisiana Medicaid.
What the help covers
  • Ordinary LaCHIP provides children’s Medicaid benefits. The financial counselor can confirm the no-cost coverage category on the approval notice and check the hospital, doctors and pharmacy. The separate LaCHIP Affordable Plan has a household premium.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask the hospital financial counselor to walk through the shared Medicaid and LaCHIP application.
  2. Have your child’s identification, current household income and information about any insurance ready.

Louisiana Department of Health, Medicaid eligibility: 1-888-342-6207 · Official page ↗

After you apply
  • The ordinary federal Medicaid decision limit is 45 days, with limited documented exceptions. It is not a mandatory waiting period.
  • Children receive 12 months of continuous eligibility.
  • Ordinary LaCHIP is Medicaid coverage. The worker can check earlier eligible bills under the Medicaid retroactive rules: up to three pre-application months through 2026 and up to two for child applications from January 1, 2027. A waiting period after other coverage ends is not allowed, but the approval date still matters. The separate Affordable Plan has different start-date rules.
Good to know

LaCHIP requires your child to be uninsured. An offer of work coverage deserves a separate question before any insurance changes.

Other details
  • The approval notice identifies the coverage category. Your financial counselor can check the hospital and oncology group against the selected health plan.

Federal background: Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could the same application check LaCHIP for my child? What would we gain or give up, and could you help us apply if it fits?”

Why I’m asking: I want to understand the children’s coverage options if ordinary Medicaid’s income limit is too low.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

File the one Medicaid application and say plainly that the child has no insurance.

Your social worker

The hospital financial counsellor or oncology social worker files it with you and chases the decision.

The care team

Records and letters when the application asks for them.

Who decides
Louisiana Medicaid decides; the health plan you choose runs the coverage.
Ask your social worker
“We are over the Medicaid line. Can the same application be read for LaCHIP, and can you tell me in writing which band my child landed in?”

How to apply

First step: File the one Medicaid application at sspweb.lameds.ldh.la.gov or call 1-888-342-6207, and say the child has no insurance.

  1. File the single Medicaid application; the state screens Medicaid first and LaCHIP next.
  2. Ask the worker in writing whether the child is in LaCHIP or in the Affordable Plan band, because the two have different start dates.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: The same application as children's Medicaid: the Medicaid Self-Service Portal, or 1-888-342-6207. Medicaid is screened first.

What to gather

  • Your child's identification and Social Security number
  • This month's income for each adult in the tax household
  • Proof that the child has no insurance now

How long: The same state clock as Medicaid: 45 days for an ordinary decision.

What a yes looks like

A notice naming LaCHIP and a Medicaid health plan. Check the hospital and the oncology group are in it.

What a no looks like, and the next move

If the answer is income, ask about the LaCHIP Affordable Plan band above it, and about Act 421, which leaves parents' income out.

Watch out

  • This is for an uninsured child. Never cancel a work plan to reach it.
  • What Louisiana does when a work plan is merely offered, and not taken, was not published. Say exactly what your child is enrolled in.

Dates that change this

2026-09-10: The Medicaid worker confirms the no-cost category and the first covered date. Eligible prior bills can fall within a three-month look-back for applications in 2026; the supplied federal rule changes the children’s period to two months for applications from January 1, 2027. Eligibility is checked separately for each month. (not yet confirmed against the final rule)

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

Children's insurance for an uninsured child up to $5,968 a month for four, $4,941 for three and $3,914 for two, allowance included.

  • $5,968/month — Household of 4, LaCHIP line (217% of poverty, allowance included)
  • $4,941/month — Household of 3, LaCHIP line
  • $3,914/month — Household of 2, LaCHIP line
  • $6,995/month — Household of 5, LaCHIP line
  • $8,022/month — Household of 6, LaCHIP line

Covers: Hospital care, doctor visits, prescriptions and immunisations · The same children's benefit package Louisiana Medicaid covers

Legal protection: Twelve months of continuous coverage for a child under 19

What it costs the family: Louisiana describes ordinary LaCHIP as no-cost children’s coverage. The Medicaid worker confirms the category and any current premiums, fees, deductibles or copays on the approval notice. The separate Affordable Plan has its own family premium.

The eligibility facts, as published

Age
under 19
Age max exclusive
19
Income
at or below 217% FPIG, stated on the chart as 212% plus a 5% disregard
Insurance status condition
the child must not currently have health insurance
Residency
Louisiana
Continuous eligibility
12 months
Waiting period
The state FAQ says none, and federal rules required every remaining waiting period to end by June 3, 2025
Employer offer
Current creditable insurance and access to a state-employee plan require separate checks. An unaccepted ordinary employer offer is different from being insured; the Medicaid worker confirms the applicable category.

The trap: This route is for an uninsured child. Never drop a work plan to reach it: there is no rule that makes the child insurable again if the application is refused.

Where I read this

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