States expand children's access to health care

Texas tries to reclaim lost SCHIP enrollees, while Washington and Oklahoma strive to cover new children. About 210,000 kids are expected to gain coverage.

By Doug Trapp, AMNews staff. July 2, 2007.

Washington -- So far this year, three states have adopted legislation to expand their children's health care coverage significantly, largely through their State Children's Health Insurance Programs.

Texas' SCHIP is expected to regain about 130,000 enrollees from a reversal of cost-cutting program changes adopted in 2003. Washington and Oklahoma expect to cover about 40,000 more children each in upcoming years. Oklahoma is providing assistance for buying private insurance, while Texas and Washington are taking the more standard approach of expanding SCHIP eligibility.

Also, at least two other states -- Louisiana and Oregon -- at press time were considering bills to expand children's access to health care.

The gains in the three states are modest when contrasted with the roughly 9 million uninsured children in the U.S. -- of which about 6 million are eligible for SCHIP or Medicaid. But congressional lawmakers are crafting SCHIP reauthorization legislation that could address the larger issue of uninsured children. The program is 10 years old this year and will expire on Sept. 30 if it is not renewed.

Texas, which has the highest overall uninsured rate in the nation at 25%, took one small step away from that distinction with legislation passed this session. The Legislature adopted a bill in May expected to bring the state's SCHIP enrollment to 430,000. The program's population peaked in 2002 at more than 500,000 but today stands at about 300,000.