Medicaid and the S-CHIP provide coverage to certain low-income populations that meet eligibility requirements. The programs play a particularly important role for children, aiming to cover nearly all low-income uninsured children. The role of Medicaid for adults is far more limited however, covering only some low-income parents and disabled individuals, leaving most childless adults ineligible, regardless of how poor they are. Recent growth in Medicaid and S-CHIP enrollment of children has filled in the sizable gap created by decreased employer-sponsored insurance since 2000. The share of children who are uninsured actually decreased between 2000 and 2004,.
