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Federal Health Insurance Plans for Kids

The federal government partners with each state to provide health insurance for children who meet the eligibility guidelines. Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program are the two insurance programs that cover children from low-income families. These programs are administered at the state level, and each state must follow certain federal guidelines. Medicaid and CHIP combined served over 35 million children in 2008.

  1. Medicaid

    • Medicaid is a jointly funded state and federal program that provides health insurance coverage for children up to age 21 in all states living below the federal poverty level. In 2009, the federal poverty level for a family of 3 was $18,310. States are also required to provide coverage for all children up to age 6 with a family income less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level. The Medicaid program is administered by each state. State specific information, including information on how to apply for this program is available at InsureKidsNow.gov or through state Medicaid offices.

    CHIP

    • The CHIP program is a federal government and state partnership that provides low-cost health insurance coverage for children from families who earn too much income to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private health insurance. Every state and U.S. territory has a CHIP program. In 2008, 7.3 million children were enrolled in the CHIP program. States have considerable flexibility in determining eligibility criteria. Information on eligibility and how to apply can be found at InsureKidsNow.gov or through state Medicaid offices.

    Children with Disabilities

    • In most states, children with disabilities receiving Supplemental Security Income payments (SSI) are eligible for Medicaid. In many states Medicaid is automatically available with SSI eligibility. Other states require the Medicaid application process to be completed before coverage begins. A Social Security office or state Medicaid office will provide information on eligibility and how to apply.

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