The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals will receive a $1.9 million performance bonus from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as a result of the Medicaid Program's efforts to ensure eligible children were enrolled. The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) established “Performance Bonuses” for states to support the enrollment and retention of eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP. More than $296 million was awarded to 23 states for ensuring more children have health coverage.

As outlined in the statute, states must have in place at least five Medicaid and CHIP program features known to promote enrollment and retention in health coverage for children. Specifically, Louisiana met the following criteria: 12-month continuous eligibility; liberalization of the State's asset test; elimination of in-person interview requirements; use of the same application and renewal forms; and use of automatic or administrative renewal.

Medicaid Deputy Director and head of the BAYOU HEALTH program Ruth Kennedy has been repeatedly recognized nationally for her efforts stretching back more than a decade to significantly improve the process of enrolling people, particularly children, into Medicaid and LaCHIP. Just last month, CMS recognized Kennedy as one of 10 individuals who received the ECHOE (Excellence in Children's Health Outreach and Enrollment) honor for her outstanding efforts to identify and enroll eligible children in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).