Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provide a critical source of health insurance coverage to low-income pregnant women, infants, and children. This report highlights state trends in health care coverage for women and children through Medicaid and SCHIP.
Summary
Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provide a critical source of health insurance coverage to low-income pregnant women, infants, and children. This report highlights state trends in health care coverage for women and children through Medicaid and SCHIP.
It is important to note that this document is intended to provide an overview of data describing the condition of children’s health coverage through October 2007. The following data were collected from states between June 2007 and October 2007 and does not reflect the current status of any state. A more updated version of the MCH Update will be released in the coming months. The methods used by individual states to cover this population vary considerably. This annual report examines some of
the policies states have implemented for providing coverage. Relevant data from each state are included in tables at the end of the report. Among the key findings of the survey are the following:
- Eight states and the District of Columbia increased income eligibility levels for children ages six through eighteen in Medicaid and SCHIP. For example, Vermont raised Medicaid income eligibility levels for infants and children under age six to 300 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) from 225 percent FPL.
- In an effort to control costs five states and the District of Columbia eliminated the presumptive eligibility category for SCHIP-eligible children. Only four states retained the category for pregnant women in SCHIP; six states retained presumptive eligibility for children in SCHIP, with most providing enrollment for a 12-month period. Massachusetts and New Jersey were the only two states to add the eligibility to SCHIP children.
- Ten states expanded the length of continuous eligibility for Medicaid benefits for pregnant women. Among the states implementing a continuous eligibility policy were Georgia, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island, which added a 12-month eligibility policy for children under Medicaid.
Although there is considerable variation among state Medicaid programs, the data included in this Update reflect crossstate similarities in program status as of fiscal 2006 (the most recent data available) and detail key trends over time in the nation’s Medicaid and SCHIP programs.
