Coping with SCHIP enrollment caps: lessons from seven states' experiences.
Seven states with separate (as opposed to Medicaid expansion) State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP) implemented enrollment caps during the 2001-2003 recession. Interviews with SCHIP officials and Covering Kids and Families grantees in these states examined implementation policies and their effects on enrollment, outreach, and public support. Enrollment caps were generally maintained for less than a year and resulted in large spending reductions, but enrollment declined steeply. Most key informants indicated that caps were preferable to reversals of simplified enrollment, comprehensive benefits, and low cost sharing and thus offered policymakers an important tool for controlling costs.
Hill
Ian
I
Urban Institute, Washington, DC, USA. ihill@ui.urban.org
Courtot
Brigette
B
Sullivan
Jennifer
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000385:Aid to Families with Dependent Children / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations / Q000191:economics; D017047:Cost Sharing; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D004608:Eligibility Determination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013221:State Health Plans / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States