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Study Finds Some Children Experience Gaps in Medicaid Coverage |
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Many Americans experience instability in their health insurance coverage. After being uninsured for a time, they may gain coverage for several months or several years, only to become uninsured again when they lose their job or family circumstances change. The problem is particularly acute for minorities and people with low incomes. Children covered by public programs---Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program---have a built-in source of instability: they must have their eligibility requirements verified periodically, which can create breaks in coverage. The researchers find that while the program provides a "long-term continuous source of coverage for millions of children," it also creates "a revolving door for others." Many children are covered for reasonably long periods, but many others experience short gaps---from two to four months---in coverage. The researchers analyzed Medicaid enrollment data for children in California, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, and Pennsylvania from January 2001 to December 2003. They found considerable variation in coverage stability, proportion of children with gaps, and the number of gaps.
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