Reaching Eligible But Uninsured Children
SummaryOne of the most important steps a state can take to provide health coverage to its children is to reach uninsured children who already qualify for Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Some six million children who are uninsured qualify for the two programs, representing close to seven in ten of all uninsured children. 1 The vast majority of these children are low-income, have a parent who is employed and come from families that are eager to enroll their children in coverage. 2Although the country has made steady progress in reaching these children, much more can be done. In particular, there are still strategies a state can take to increase their Medicaid and CHIP participation rates, and thus reach more "eligible but uninsured" children. These strategies include adopting and improving the operation of core policies, implementing enhanced enrollment and retention procedures, and conducting targeted outreach. If successful, states could assure that millions of uninsured children gain the coverage they need and for which they already qualify. 
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 Summary Where States Stand About Eligible but Uninsured Children
Strategies Resources
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Footnotes
1. Analysis of March 2005 Current Population Survey using July 2004 state eligibility rules by L. Dubay, Urban Institute. Back
2. M. Perry and J. Paradise, "Enrolling Children in Medicaid and SCHIP: Insights from Focus Groups with Low-Income Parents," Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (May 2007); and G. Kenney, J. Haley, & A. Tebay, "Familiarity with Medicaid and SCHIP Programs Grows and Interest in Enrolling Children Is High," Urban Institute, Snapshots of America's Families III, no. 2 (July 2003). Back