The scheduled sunset of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) appropriation in 2015 raises questions about what a reasonable level of contribution on the part of a child’s family is without becoming a financial obstacle that impedes access to and use of appropriate care. This presents an opportunity for policymakers to consider a long-term vision, not just for CHIP, but also for coverage of lower-income children more broadly.
Chapter 5 of MACPAC’s March 2014 report offers two short-term recommendations to Congress–ending waiting periods for children in CHIP, and eliminating CHIP premiums for families below 150 percent of the federal poverty level–that support a long-term vision for continuity of coverage, benefit design, financing, and network adequacy for children’s coverage overall. Read more about MACPAC’s rationale for these recommendations and its long-term vision for children’s coverage.
From: March 2014 Report to the Congress on Medicaid and CHIP