Rising To The Challenge: Tools For Enrolling Eligible Children In Health Coverage

Abstract

Nearly five million uninsured children in the United States are currently eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) but are not enrolled in these programs. A top Obama administration priority is to achieve the long-sought goal of ensuring that uninsured children are enrolled--and that they stay enrolled for as long as they are eligible. The author, who is secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), outlines measures that HHS and other federal agencies are implementing to reach this goal. She also cites existing state efforts to enroll more children and improve children's coverage, and she describes steps that states, local governments, and the private sector can take to expand outreach efforts, increase enrollment, and keep eligible children covered.