SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program)

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program, also known as SCHIP or CHIP, was officially ushered into the cannon of governmental programs in 1997. Although its passage in Congress was touted as a bipartisan effort, many have suspected that SCHIP was a subtle attempt to enact some of the nationalized health care mandates that HillaryCare was unable to institute. The goal of SCHIP was to provide healthcare for children whose family incomes were too low to afford adequate health coverage, but too high to be eligible for the government’s Medicaid program.

To many people, the goal of providing government health insurance for needy children sounds like a praiseworthy attempt that should be supported. Proponents are quick to point out that rising insurance costs, the bad economy, and numerous other facts are all indicators that SCHIP is a necessary program.

Despite these plausible facts, the deeper implications of SCHIP have engendered a variety of skepticisms. In the eyes of SCHIP’s opponents, the program accepts and provides insurance for children whose families make a decent income, thus placing an unnecessary strain on America’s taxpayers. This fact can in turn cause many people to abandon their private health coverage, which subsequently drives up costs for Americans who pay for their own health insurance. Opponents of SCHIP also point out that the program can encourage a welfare and entitlement mentality, which then discourages families from establishing themselves on firmer financial ground.

These issues were thoroughly discussed several years ago as the reauthorization of SCHIP approached. Due to the fact that SCHIP funding was strained and many American children remained uninsured, some members of Congress pushed for a greater expansion of the program. However, because of partisan differences, SCHIP was not reauthorized until early in Barack Obama’s first presidential term. According to a speech given by President Obama, SCHIP reauthorization was “only a first step” toward his “commitment to cover every single American” with health insurance.

In order to better acquaint readers with the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, this library section provides a variety of data on the funding and coverage procedures used in SCHIP. This section also focuses on a number of alternative ways in which health care for children can be more attainable and affordable without straining the government’s pocketbook.