December 2003

Who's Enrolled in SCHIP?

Since 1997, States have used the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to provide health insurance coverage to uninsured low-income children who lack private health insurance but are ineligible for Medicaid due to family income. Demographic and health care information about children who enroll in SCHIP can help States understand enrollees needs, assess the effects of program changes, and determine whether SCHIP improves low-income children's access to health care. This Issue Brief summarizes findings from Child Health Insurance Research Initiative (CHIRI) projects in five States with separate SCHIP programs that accounted for 30 percent of SCHIP enrollment in 2001. The families of new SCHIP enrollees were asked about their demographic characteristics and health care experiences before enrolling in SCHIP. These CHIRI findings reveal that new SCHIP enrollees resemble other low income uninsured children in many respects, but they also depart from some expectations about who would enroll in SCHIP.