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The State Children’s Health Insurance Program in Massachusetts: Achievements, Challenges, and Implications for Health Reform
Congress is now considering this year’s funding for and the future of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Many of the critical issues have particular resonance for Massachusetts because of SCHIP’s interconnectedness with MassHealth, the Commonwealth’s waiver agreement with the federal government under which MassHealth operates, and the coverage expansion goals and strategies embodied in the Commonwealth’s new health reform law.
The issue brief examines what is at stake for Massachusetts, including:
- How SCHIP is part of the Commonwealth’s universal coverage strategy;
- How SCHIP is funded in Massachusetts, and the funding shortfalls the program now faces; and
- How the SCHIP program and funding are integrated with MassHealth, and the implications of that connection for the upcoming negotiations to extend the MassHealth waiver, which, in turn, is linked to the future of health care reform.
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