Costs of enrolling children in Medicaid and SCHIP

As a way of saving Medicaid dollars, many states are reintroducing administrative hurdles into the enrollment process to deter people from enrolling. This study finds that administrative tasks associated with enrollment absorb sizable amounts of funds. We estimate that it costs approximately dollars 280 to enroll a child in Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in the New York City area. This amount could be reduced by approximately 40 percent if documentation requirements were simplified. In an era of scarce resources, the case for simplification is more compelling than ever.