Resources

The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 reauthorized the CHIP and funded the program through 2013. Under CHIPRA, Congress provided states with new policy tools to address shortfalls in enrollment and retention, one of which is Express Lane Eligibility. With Express Lane Eligibility, a state’s Medicaid and/or CHIP program can rely on another agency’s eligibility findings to qualify children for public health coverage. This report on first-year evaluation findings describes existing state Express Lane Eligibility programs, including their administrative costs and enrollment trends, and estimates of their impact on total program enrollment. The report also previews issues that will be examined in future CHIPRA evaluation activities.