SCHIP’s success is contingent on children remaining insured. SCHIP has not, however, served as a bridge to private insurance coverage for children in the short term. Few low-income children have access to affordable private insurance. The vast majority of SCHIP enrollees remained insured because they continued to participate in public insurance. At followup, nearly 80 percent of SCHIP enrollees were enrolled in Medicaid or SCHIP. Some SCHIP enrollees, however, became uninsured. CHIRI™ research has shown that SCHIP coverage is frequently interrupted and that State renewal policies had a strong effect on a child’s likelihood of disenrollment. Provisions under CHIPRA (see box on next page) encourage States to continue simplifying State renewal policies similar to.
