CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP)
What is CHIP?
CHIP is the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Established in 1997 by Congress, the program provides health insurance for children from low and middle-income families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but have limited access to private insurance.
Why Does It Matter?
CHIP provides healthcare to approximately eight million children across the country today.
Because of CHIP, the uninsured rate for American children fell from 14% in 1997 to 5% in 2017.
As of 2024, 37 million children were covered by Medicaid or CHIP, including children with disabilities or chronic health conditions.
CHIP in New York State
In 2016, CHIP covered over 700,000 children in New York, where it is known as Child Health Plus.
More than 97% of New York children have health coverage, the highest level in history. New York achieved this thanks to CHIP, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.
New York was the only state to see a significant decline in the number of uninsured children between 2016 and 2019.
Between 2020 and 2023, during the COVID pandemic, a federal rule required the state to maintain continuous coverage for residents with public insurance. The percentage of insured children in New York rose to nearly 99%.
Approximately 70% of CHIP funding comes from the federal government. This funding requires reauthorization by Congress.
