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What Are the Recent Trends for Children's Participation in Medicaid and CHIP?
As a part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid will expand in 2014 to cover people with incomes below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), which in 2011 was $22,350 for a family of four. Although this Medicaid expansion will dramatically increase the number of insured people, an estimated 38 percent of the remaining uninsured will be eligible, but will not enroll, either because they aren’t aware they are eligible, don’t know how to enroll or encounter other obstacles. States have made progress enrolling children in CHIP, and policy-makers can learn from the states and apply some of these lessons to Medicaid enrollment. This brief summarizes current enrollment trends for children.
- In 2009, 4.3 million children remained uninsured despite being eligible for health insurance through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), down from 4.7 million in 2008.
- Nationwide, 84.8 percent of eligible children were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, up from 82.1 percent in 2008. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia had participation rates of 90 percent or higher in 2009.
- Just three states—Texas, California and Florida—account for nearly 40 percent of the remaining eligible but uninsured children in the nation.
Health Policy Snapshot
Two-page briefs providing insight and analysis on key issues affecting health and health care in the United States.
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million children remained uninsured despite being eligible for Medicaid or CHIP in 2009