There are more opportunities than ever before for children to gain access to health insurance coverage. Effective outreach and enrollment are critical components in achieving universal health insurance coverage.
Pediatricians can play an important role.
This issue brief summarizes some of the main barriers to enrollment that families face. In the 1980s the Medicaid program was de-linked from welfare. Since then eligibility has been significantly expanded. This means that a growing number of children are now eligible for Medicaid because of their family income, even though their family does not receive cash assistance. Yet, the primary way that most families learn about Medicaid and enroll in the program has been through the welfare office, when they applied for cash assistance.