State Children's Health Insurance Program

Despite a number of efforts by states and the federal government over several years, millions of low-income children still lack health insurance coverage and, therefore, have limited access to healthcare services. To address these problems, Congress has created, and states are now implementing, the new State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Policymakers and agency officials who design, operate, and sponsor health coverage programs such as SCHIP must determine what constitutes an effective program. Efforts to maximize the number of children with coverage are important. The challenge for each state and its communities is to effectively identify and enroll eligible low-income children. They must create outreach strategies to find and enroll children in Medicaid and SCHIP. However, a truly effective program must go beyond simply enrolling children in health coverage programs. They must also assure that newly enrolled children receive quality comprehensive health care.