Targeting communities with high rates of uninsured children

Data from the first two rounds of the Community Tracking Study household survey show that coverage expansions through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) have virtually eliminated differences across communities in children's eligibility for public or private health coverage. Nevertheless, some communities continue to have very high rates of uninsured children, in large part because of lower participation rates in public programs and higher costs for employer-sponsored coverage. Participation in SCHIP may increase in high-uninsurance communities as the new programs mature, although low participation rates in public programs prior to SCHIP suggest that enrollment barriers may still be greater in such communities.