Enrolling Eligible Children and Keeping Them Enrolled

• Published in: The Future of children Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 81 - 97
• Main Authors: Ross, Donna Cohen, Hill, Ian T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Center for the Future of Children, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation 2003; Princeton University-Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Princeton University
• Subjects: Adopted children; Analysis; Attendance; Case Studies; Child; Child care; Child Health; Child health services; Child Health Services - economics; Child Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Child Health Services - supply & distribution; Child Welfare; Children; Children & youth; Childrens health insurance programs; Community Relations; Electronics benefit transfer; Eligibility; Eligibility Determination; Enrollments; Entitlement programs; Family (Sociological Unit); Health Care Services Policy; Health Insurance; Health Policy; Health Programs; Humans; Insurance, Health - statistics & numerical data; Low Income Groups; Managed care; Marketing; Medicaid; National Surveys; Pregnancy; Public Health; State Surveys; States (Political Subdivisions); Student Participation; United States - epidemiology; United States of America; Young Children; United States
• ISSN: 1054-8289; 1550-1558
• DOI: 10.2307/1602640

Coverage under Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provides low-income children with a vital link to needed health care, yet a significant proportion of children eligible for these programs remain uninsured. States have found that expanding eligibility and marketing new programs are not enough to increase enrollment of eligible uninsured children in public health programs. States also need to simplify enrollment and renewal procedures to make them more family-friendly. According to survey data, a key reason for underenrollment is that families find enrollment and renewal procedures too complex. This article details the efforts that states have made to increase enrollment in Medicaid and SCHIP, and it offers recommendations for strengthening these efforts. Although barriers to enrollment and renewal still exist, states are making progress in several ways, such as: ◗ Simplifying eligibility procedures. ◗ Using community-based application assistance. ◗ Eliminating procedural differences between Medicaid and separate SCHIP programs. The authors recommend that states continue to simplify program requirements and procedures, making it easier for children to enroll in Medicaid and SCHIP, retain coverage for as long as they qualify, and transfer between programs when necessary. In addition, outreach and community-based application assistance will continue to be essential activities, along with developing efforts to enroll children through other public programs, such as the food stamp program.