Children's Health Insurance Program Funding and Proposed Legislation for Texas
Abstract
The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in Texas provides basic health insurance to children less than 19 years of age for families who cannot afford private insurance and do not qualify for Medicaid. Studies have shown a correlation between the lack of health insurance and the negative effect on a child's health status. In 2004, financing of CHIP came to the forefront of debate as Texas struggled to overcome a $10 billion dollar budget deficit. Consequently, the 78th Texas Legislature passed several provisions targeted towards CHIP to reduce the state's spending. The reductions in state spending on CHIP has resulted in enrollment declining from 529,211 in May 2002 to an estimated 358,230 in June 2004. Enrollment projections for 2005 include another 169,000 children no longer eligible for CHIP. The state decided it was necessary to reduce CHIP funding to focus the limited budget on the poorest children enrolled in Medicaid. The purposes of this paper are to examine the CHIP program in Texas and to propose legislation that could restore program funding and ultimately reduce the number of children in Texas without health care insurance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA444040
Entities
People
- Daniel J. Maley