President’s Budget May Provide States With Inadequate Funding to Maintain Current SCHIP Programs

Publication Date: February 2008

Publisher: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (Washington, D.C.)

Author(s): Edwin Park

Research Area: Health

Keywords: Economic projections; Fiscal future; Federal budget; State budgets

Type: Report

Abstract:

The proposed funding increase has been portrayed in some media reports as a significant expansion of SCHIP to cover more children.  Yet while the $19.7 billion amount does substantially exceed the amount proposed for SCHIP in the budget the President submitted a year ago,[1] it would not provide sufficient funding for states to significantly expand their SCHIP programs and cover many more uninsured low-income children.  In fact, the amount that the President’s new budget proposes for SCHIP likely would not even be sufficient to enable states simply to maintain their current SCHIP programs.