SCHIP's Steady Enrollment Growth Continues

摘要

The number of children covered by the State Children' Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) continues to increase, and enrollment shows no sign of having reached a plateau. According to data for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2001, 4.6 million children were enrolled in a Medicaid expansion program (M-SCHIP) or a separate child health program (S-SCHIP) at some point during the year, and preliminary data indicate 5.3 million children were enrolled in FFY 2002. A number of factors have supported the continued growth in SCHIP enrollment. Nine states did not begin enrolling children in their SCHIP programs until 1999 or 2000, and in several large states with more mature SCHIP programs, program enrollment continued to increase considerably. Many states have continued to expand eligibility limits, and many have further refined their strategies to help enroll and retain children in SCHIP by taking such steps as increasing outreach, offering application assistance, and simplifying enrollment and renewal procedures.