Which program offers coverage for nursing home care without requiring a previous period of hospitalization?

The option that correctly identifies a program offering coverage for nursing home care without requiring a previous period of hospitalization is AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System). AHCCCS is Arizona's Medicaid program, which provides health care coverage to eligible low-income individuals, including those needing nursing home care. A key feature of AHCCCS is that beneficiaries can qualify for long-term care services without having to first be hospitalized, unlike some other programs.

In contrast, Medicare generally requires that beneficiaries have a qualifying inpatient hospital stay before covering skilled nursing facility services, which would not apply here as the question explicitly asks for coverage without this requirement. While Medicaid (which AHCCCS administers) does provide long-term care benefits, the specificity of the Arizona program makes AHCCCS the correct choice. CHIP, or the Children's Health Insurance Program, primarily offers health coverage for children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private coverage, and thus does not pertain to nursing home care for adults.