Children who lack health insurance do not have access to preventive care, placing them at greater risk of serious illness. This special report of the Voices for Illinois Children describes federal and state efforts to address the problem of uninsured children and issues that will need to be monitored as Illinois begins to help children access…

This Kids Count special report examines the relationship between poverty status and the number of children in Arkansas lacking health insurance. The report also presents information on two programs providing health care to Arkansas children whose parents lack insurance coverage, Medicaid and ARKids First. The report describes how these two…

States originally had until September 30, 2000 to spend their first year of funds under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) or else lose any unspent funds. Funds remaining unused after 3 years were to be reallocated to states that had spent their SCHIP funds before the deadline. Only 12 states met the deadline, with many states…

This brief provides a snapshot of the types and scale of expansions that states have adopted in the early implementation phase of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a program to expand health coverage for low-income children up to age 19. In addition, the brief examines how coverage expansions vary in relation to state…

As states face increasing fiscal pressures, many are considering proposals to cut eligibility levels, eliminate outreach, and retract simplified enrollment procedures for children and families eligible for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This paper presents evidence on the importance of maintaining gains made in…

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provides funds to states to expand health insurance coverage for low-income children who are uninsured. States have a great deal of flexibility to design and implement SCHIP, resulting in considerable diversity across states. Enrollment reached 3.4 million in federal fiscal year 2000 and…

In an effort to provide uninsured children with health care, California and states across the nation have focused on locating uninsured children and enrolling them in Medicaid and their state children's health insurance program. This report provides a comprehensive examination of California's efforts and offers strategies for keeping children…

Under the State Child Health Insurance Program, states receive funds to purchase health insurance for low-income, uninsured children. Noting that partnering with managed care will be essential if school-based health centers are to receive reimbursement for serving the publicly insured portion of their clientele, this paper examines the…

This instructional school-based outreach guide is designed to help state Medicaid and state Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) agencies to initiate and sustain school-based outreach targeted to children potentially eligible for enrollment in Medicaid and SCHIP programs. Based on a review of state best practices undertaken by the U.S.…

Despite expansions in children's health insurance programs, rates of uninsurance in California continue to be high. Noting that absenteeism due to poor health is associated with school failure and asserting that schools offer an established framework on which to build a coordinated approach to enrolling children in health insurance programs, this…

This Kids Count issue brief details the strides made in Rhode Island over the last 10 years to improve maternal and child health, focusing on efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities. The brief notes that Rhode Island has made significant progress in several areas of maternal and infant care, most notably in access to insurance and early…

This report describes policy and program changes affecting New York's low-income families, issues related to these changes, and ways that city, state, and federal governments might further enhance the well-being of low-income families. Part 1 reviews major new policies enacted by the federal and state governments since the mid-1990s, noting how…