SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program): Prescription Drug Benefits

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is a federal U.S. program designed to distribute funds to the states in order to provide [Page 1271]medical insurance for children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid. It is currently referred to as CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program). In order to qualify for Medicaid in 2014, a family of four has to have an income below $23,850. The CHIP program is intended to cover uninsured children in families with modest incomes who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but are too impoverished to pay for private health coverage. There is no employment requirement, only each state’s specific income guidelines. The eligibility rules differ by state but generally include families making approximately 200 percent of the federal ...