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Health Care Reform & Children Resources

The following health care reform information is focused specifically on children and includes material developed by NASHP as well as key resources from other organizations.
 
NASHP
 
NASHP Resources 
National Health Care Reform Funding Opportunities Relevant to Children
Related Topics: Children’s coverage; Health reform
This is a summary chart of grant and other funding opportunities under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) that we have identified as being of particular relevance to State policy makers working on children’s health coverage.
 
A State Child Health Walkthrough of Health Care Reform
Related Topics: Children’s coverage; Health reform
This is an outline of ACA provisions that are of particular interest to state officials in regard to children’s health coverage.
 
NASHP Publications
Related topics: Affordable Care Act; Children
This brief presents highlights from a meeting of CHIP directors and EPSDT coordinators regarding how EPSDT and CHIP can work together to improve health coverage for children in the context of the Affordable Care Act.
Kathleen Farrell
Catherine Hess, Managing Director for Coverage and Access
July 2011
 
Related topics: Affordable Care Act; Children
This brief examines affordability lessons from children's coverage programs that can be applied to coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
April 2011
 
The Affordable Care Act and Children with Special Health Care Needs
Related topics: Affordable Care Act; Children
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides states with some important tools that can be utilized to provide more continuous, adequate and affordable coverage for children with special health care needs (CSHCN).
Kathleen Farrell

 

This State Health Policy Briefing was developed by the National Academy for State Policy (NASHP) with state Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP) directors as well as other state officials working toward covering all children. The brief discusses key considerations for policy makers and stakeholders working on national health reform.
Catherine Hess, Managing Director for Coverage and Access
Maureen Hensley-Quinn, Program Manager
August 2009

 

Other Publications 
 
The White House
Health Reform for Children
The White House fact sheet provides a brief overview of the new provisions that are guaranteed to children under health reform. It includes explanations of reduced costs and expanded coverage of dependents.
 
First Focus 
Actuarial Study: Children Currently Enrolled in CHIP Will Face Higher Costs if Moved Into Exchange

Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Actuarial Study: Children Currently Enrolled in CHIP Will Face Higher Costs if Moved Into Exchange (Washington, DC:  First Focus, September 2009.)
In an effort to determine how children could fare in Congressional health reform proposals that would have eliminated the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and move kids into exchange plans, First Focus commissioned a study by Watson Wyatt Worldwide to compare the actuarial value of CHIP to exchange plans. NASHP provided research assistance to this project.
 

Georgetown University Center for Children and Families (CCF)
Summary of Medicaid, CHIP, and Low-Income Provisions in Health Care Reform
The Georgetown University Center for Children and Families (CCF) has published this fact sheet describing key Medicaid and CHIP provisions within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

 
Poll: Affordability and Health Care Coverage
This survey, published by CCF and Lake Research Partners, shows that families are still feeling the recession, are worried about the future, and struggling to afford health care. For this reason, their goal for health care reform is overwhelmingly to make health care more affordable and to lower premiums and copayments that people must pay for their insurance coverage.
 
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices developed an issue brief based on a daylong meeting of state government officials, general health care experts, federal representatives, and individuals from nonpartisan health policy institutions. The discussions focused on state design decisions in terms of state health insurance exchanges and children’s coverage.
 
The Urban Institute
Genevieve Kenney, Matthew Buettgens, Jocelyn Guyer, Martha Heberlein, Improving Coverage For Children Under Health Reform Will Require Maintaining Current Eligibility Standards For Medicaid And CHIP (Washington, DC: Health Affairs, December 2011). 
This publication presents coverage estimates for children and their parents under the Affordable Care Act and examines how policy, implementation, and funding decisions could impact coverage rates. 

Potential Impacts of Alternative Health Care Reform Proposals for Children with Medicaid and CHIP Coverage
Genevieve Kenney, Allison Cook, Potential Impacts of Alternative Health Care Reform Proposals for Children with Medicaid and CHIP Coverage (Washington, DC: Urban Institute, December 2009.)
This brief estimates the number of children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP who would have been affected if provisions in pending health reform bills were implemented in 2007. Potential tradeoffs associated with shifting children from CHIP into Medicaid or new exchange plans are discussed.
 
Health Care Reform for Children with Public Coverage: How Can Policymakers Maximize Gains and Prevent Harm?
Genevieve Kenney, Stan Dorn, Health Care Reform for Children with Public Coverage: How Can Policymakers Maximize Gains and Prevent Harm? (Washington, DC: Urban Institute, June 2009.)
This brief examines the potential effects of health care reform on the more than 25 million children who currently have coverage under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).