The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Value, 2005

February 2005

Data from AHRQ's 1998 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) aided the development of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's initiative titled, "Covering Kids and Families: A National Health Access Initiative for Low-Income, Uninsured Children."

The initiative was created to help states and local communities increase the number of children and adults who benefit from existing health coverage programs. The initiative also tests innovations that make sure that once kids are enrolled, they have access to care.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 11 million children in the United States were uninsured in 1996. Approximately 6.4 million of those children were eligible for the Medicaid or State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), but were not enrolled.

Impact Case Study Identifier: CFACT 05-01
AHRQ Product: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Topic(s): Access, Quality
Scope: National

Seldon TM, Banthin JS, Cohen JW. Medicaid's problem children: Eligible but not enrolled. Health Affairs 1998; 17(3):192-200.