States That Participate in the CHIP Program

CHIP, also known as SCHIP or the State Children's Health Insurance Program, is a federal and state funded program created to provide health insurance to children in families that earn too much to participate in Medicaid but not enough to purchase health insurance. Every state participates in CHIP, although some state's programs are more expansive than others.

States Using CHIP to Expand Medicaid

• A few states, only five, integrate CHIP into their existing Medicaid program, and use all of their CHIP funds to expand Medicaid coverage to uninsured children. These states include Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska, New Mexico and Ohio. The District of Columbia also expands Medicaid coverage with CHIP funds.

States with Separate CHIP Programs

• Some states choose to use their CHIP funds to create and maintain separate insurance programs just for those who qualify for and use CHIP. Most of the 19 states that keep their CHIP separate from Medicaid give their programs titles such as North Carolina's "Healthy Choice for Children" or Washington's "Apple Health for Kids." Some states, including Mississippi, Montana, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah use the straightforward title "CHIP." Other states that keep their CHIP separate include Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Kansas, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.

States That Use CHIP Funds to Do Both

• Most states do both; they boost Medicaid enrollment using CHIP funds while also creating a separate children's health insurance program independent of Medicaid. States that participate in CHIP in this manner include Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.