State Enrollment In Children’s Health Insurance Program Surges

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Enrollment spiked to the highest level in three years this month in the state’s low-cost health insurance program for children of the working poor.

But fewer children were covered by Medicaid. About 24,000 children were added to the Children’s Health Insurance Program. That’s an increase of about 7 percent over last month. Statewide, about 382,000 are enrolled in CHIP.

The program’s benefits are available to families who can’t afford private insurance but earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. That’s the federal health insurance program for the poor.

A spokeswoman for the Health and Human Services Commission says the state expected enrollment to rise after the Legislature extended CHIP coverage from six months to a year.

The enrollment period was cut in half five years ago in a budget-cutting move.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)