1. Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
GOVT 2306, Module 12

2. SCHIP
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a federal program designed to provide health insurance to children from low-income families whose parents are not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid.

3. SCHIP in Texas
Congress created CHIP in 1997, but Texas did not choose to participate until 1999, turning away billions of federal dollars. Many Texas politicians worried about starting a new program that would cost the state money.

4. Coverage
Medicaid and CHIP provide health coverage for children so that they can get routine check-ups, immunizations, and dental care to keep them healthy. They can also get doctor visits, prescription medications, and hospital care when they’re sick.

5. CHIP/Medicaid Qualifications
Texas limits CHIP eligibility to 200 percent of the poverty level. Some states are more generous. California sets the eligibility limit at 300 percent of the poverty level. New York has a limit of 400 percent of the poverty level.

6. CHIP Eligibility by State

7. Many Children Remain Uninsured

8. Children’s Health Insurance Enrollment
Nearly 500,000 Texas children now enrolled in CHIP.

9. Federal Matching Funds
The federal government provides 72 percent of the cost of CHIP, matching state funds nearly three for one.

10. Quiz
CHIP is best described as an insurance program for which of the following?
Children living in poverty
Low-income families
Children in low-income families
Pregnant women and children
The answer is C.

11. What You Have Learned What is SCHIP? Who does SCHIP cover?
Who pays for SCHIP?