Brief Can a Child Health Insurance Tax Credit Serve as an Effective Substitute for SCHIP Expansion?
Linda J. Blumberg, Genevieve M. Kenney
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As the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has come up for reauthorization, the coverage of children with incomes above 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) has become a contentious issue. Proposals have surfaced that would subsidizing the purchase of health insurance for children between 200 and 300 percent of the FPL using tax credits and the private insurance market, as an alternative to allowing states to continue enrolling these children in SCHIP coverage. This analysis compares the family financial burdens of covering children under SCHIP and under a refundable tax credit providing a $1400 per child subsidy.
Research Areas Health and health care Taxes and budgets
Tags Health insurance Federal health care reform Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program  Private insurance State Children's Health Insurance Program Individual taxes Federal budget and economy
Policy Centers Health Policy Center