How Familiar Are Low-Income Parents with Medicaid and SCHIP?

Although 88 percent of low-income uninsured children have parents who have heard of Medicaid or SCHIP, data from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families show that only 38 percent also know that children can participate even if the family is not receiving welfare. Familiarity with these programs among low-income families varies significantly by state. Among the 13 states studied, 41 percent of low-income families had heard of Medicaid or SCHIP and understood their eligibility rules in Texas, compared to 71 percent in Massachusetts. Low-income parents tended to be more knowledgeable in states that implemented SCHIP early and in states that have higher levels of public coverage.