title: The impact of recent CHIP eligibility expansions on children's insurance coverage, 2008-12.
abstract: Following the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in 2009, fifteen states raised their CHIP income eligibility thresholds to further reduce uninsurance among children. We examined the impact of these expansions on uninsurance, public insurance, and private insurance among children who became newly eligible for CHIP after the expansions. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we estimated that the expansions reduced uninsurance by 1.1 percentage points among the newly eligible, cutting their uninsurance rate by nearly 15 percent. Public coverage increased by 2.9 percentage points, with variations in take-up among the states. A better understanding of these state-level differences in take-up could inform efforts to enroll children who remain uninsured but are eligible for CHIP. CHIP is up for reauthorization in 2015, and further funding will be needed to maintain the program, which provides insurance to children who might not have access to affordable private coverage.
authors.affiliation: Ian M. Goldstein (iangoldstein1@gmail.com) is a resident physician at the University of Colorado, in Denver.
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.affiliation: Deliana Kostova is an economist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Deliana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kostova
authors.affiliation: Jennifer L. Foltz is a medical epidemiologist at the CDC.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Foltz
authors.affiliation: Genevieve M. Kenney is codirector of and a senior fellow at the Health Policy Center, Urban Institute, in Washington, D.C.
authors.forename: Genevieve M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Kenney
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D065326:Children's Health Insurance Program / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004608:Eligibility Determination / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States
keywords: Children < Insurance; Children’s Health; Insurance Coverage < Insurance