Medicaid/SCHIP: Children
Whether children are publicly or private insured, having coverage has been shown to increase their access to care, and ultimately their health. More than two in five children reside in low-income families where they often lack access to employer-based coverage. For these children, the Medicaid and SCHIP programs play a central role in providing coverage. In fiscal year 2002, the Medicaid program covered more than 25 million children and SCHIP covered more than five million. Together, these two publicly-subsidized health insurance programs provide coverage to close to half of all low-income children in the United States. During the recent economic downturn, the health insurance coverage rates of children remained relatively steady due in large part to the stabilizing effect of public programs even as their parents and other adults experienced increases in their uninsured rates.