Children’s Health Coverage
Several improvements could be made to ensure more accurate estimates of target population sizes for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which allocates funds based on the estimates, according to a study in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law.
Researchers cited two weaknesses in the data that states use to estimate target population size:
- Specific variables needed to approximate the size of SCHIP target populations might not be available in survey data; and
- A survey must have a large enough sample to provide a reliable estimate of the target population.
The authors concluded that the SCHIP formula should be reassessed during the program's re-authorization this year and then every five to seven years in order to include parents or families of uninsured children in the target population. The study also recommended establishing mechanisms to evaluate and reward states based on performance (Blewett/Davern, Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, June 2007). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.