View Research by Author - Holly Stockdale

Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/HollyStockdale

For the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Covering Kids and Families evaluation (CKF), researchers conducted focus groups to explore parents' experiences accessing health care for their children, and to assess whether these experiences affected decisions to enroll their children in Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). In each community, groups were conducted with parents of children insured by Medicaid or SCHIP and parents of uninsured children. Researchers concluded that even when parents encountered problems accessing care, very few indicated that this discouraged them from enrolling their children into Medicaid or SCHIP, or from renewing their children's public coverage.

Interviews with SCHIP administrators in 13 states indicate that cuts to SCHIP in FY 2003 were more widespread than in 2002. Virtually all states reduced or eliminated outreach activities. Four states either froze enrollment or reduced eligibility thresholds. Half the states raised premiums and copayments for program participants. Five states either froze or cut provider reimbursement. Compared with other areas in state budgets, state officials universally described SCHIP cuts as among the smallest, and last, to be adopted, reflecting policymakers' strong support of the program. In addition, most states continued to simplify enrollment, and generous benefits were maintained in all but two states. Despite the deeper cuts, states' capacity to insure children remains much stronger than before the creation of SCHIP in 1997.

In early 2003 San Mateo County, California launched the Children's Health Initiative (CHI), a program to ensure that 100 percent of children have access to comprehensive health insurance coverage. This first annual CHI evaluation report shows that, in its early months, the CHI achieved rapid enrollment growth in its new insurance product, "Healthy Kids." Utilization of services was low in the initial months. This successful outreach and enrollment is a product of intensive and sustained collaboration among the CHI partners. Future evaluation reports will document the impact of the program on access to care and cost.

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