State Child Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP): The Battle to Widen Eligibility

With millions of adults and children currently uninsured in the United States, there is a growing health care crisis with many individuals relying upon the county and state medical systems when an emergency arises. In doing so, the taxpayers of the state and county are, ultimately, paying the bill for healthcare services that many Americans can not otherwise access through traditional care.

In an effort to alleviate the financial burden from many states and counties, the Federal government implemented, many years ago, a program called the State Children's Insurance Program (SCHIP), allowing for states to provide insurance coverage to those families who do not financially qualify for Medicaid programs but are not financially stable enough to purchase private health insurance coverage.

The degree to which you, and your family, are eligible for SCHIP in your state will depend on the parameters defined by the state's income and poverty guidelines. Often, because these figures are several months or years old, the income bracket for qualification of SCHIP programs is out of touch with the reality of the residents who reside in that state.

In an effort to improve the statistically high number of individuals who are uninsured in the United States, congress is now looking at lowering the income bracket requirements for eligibility of the SCHIP programs, enabling more families to qualify for SCHIP when they do not qualify for Medicaid. Because states currently have the flexibility to create the income bracket for eligibility, there is a disparity among states that do provide benefit with a relative simple eligibility versus states where eligibility is much more difficult to attain.

In research, members of Congress are proposing that all states be required to extent SCHIP benefits to, at least, those families who earn within 300% of the federal poverty level. This recommendation comes as the statistics show that more than 50 percent of American households earn an income within this range. Still, some states are not supporting this change as it would mean a greater debate in the funding of the SCHIP program for that state.

If you reside in states such as New York, the SCHIP program is already offering the benefit to families within the 400 percent range of poverty, leading the way in resolving the dilemma of uninsured statistics in this country.

With the Presidential elections upon us in 2008, if you are uninsured, there is no doubt you are watching the platforms and debates with regard to health care reform. As part of your voting consideration, look also to those who are providing reform in terms of income brackets for the SCHIP programs as, without federally mandated healthcare, this may be the only protection for you and your family.