Rural Medicaid and CHIP Mini-Studies

Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are important sources of health insurance coverage in rural communities and it is likely that the importance of rural Medicaid /CHIP will grow as job-based health insurance coverage continues to erode and policymakers pursue the goal of expanding coverage. This project is composed of three mini-studies that: 1) Update our State Profiles of Medicaid and CHIP in Rural and Urban Areas website, adding information on Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments to rural hospitals; 2) Analyze trends in Medicaid/CHIP enrollment in rural and urban areas over the past two to three years; and 3) Explore the future role of CHIP given increasing levels of childhood poverty.

Principal Investigator: Rebecca Slifkin, PhD

Funder: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Total Project Period: 9/1/09 – 8/31/10