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Coverage of Parents Helps Children, Too |
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Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Over the past decade, the creation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and related changes made by states in their Medicaid programs have boosted children's enrollment and led to a marked reduction in the number of uninsured children. Nonetheless, almost 9 million children (18 or younger) remain uninsured, and about two-thirds of them are low-income children who are eligible for public coverage but are not enrolled. A growing body of research demonstrates that one highly effective way of boosting coverage among these low-income children is to broaden health insurance programs so that the programs also cover their parents. For example, between 2001 and 2005, Missouri lowered the Medicaid net income eligibility limit for parents from 100 percent of the poverty line to just 22 percent, disqualifying nearly all working-poor parents. They found that expansion in Medicaid eligibility for parents led to increased enrollment among both children and their parents and to reduced levels of uninsurance among both groups. Barbara Wolfe and her colleagues found that Wisconsin's parent expansion program (BadgerCare) elevated coverage for low-income mothers. Busch and Duchovny used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to assess the effect of parent coverage expansions on health access. The nation has made significant progress in lowering the number of low-income children who lack health insurance coverage. Arkansas, New Mexico and Oregon provide SCHIP-funded coverage for parents under premium assistance programs, as compared to their regular SCHIP or Medicaid programs.
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