This week, Iowa Governor Chet Culver signed a bill that will help more tens of thousands more uninsured children get health insurance coverage.
The main part of the bill raises family income eligibility limits for children to qualify for Hawk-i, Iowa’s children’s health insurance program.
Under the new law, families can earn up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, up from 250 percent previously. This means a child’s family’s income must now be less than $64,000 annually to qualify, reported the Des Moines Register.
Higher income families will also be able to sign up their children for the dental coverage under Hawk-I even if they already have health insurance. Lawmakers expect this will help open up broader access to dental care for children.
The bill also makes it easier for state administrators to provide state subsidies for low-income families to purchase individual health insurance.