Health Coverage for Children and Families: Where Do Things Stand?

The U.S. has seen dramatic increases in health care coverage in the years following the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Coverage for children, already at record highs thanks to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), also increased as their parents and other adults gained coverage for the first time. But 2017 Census data show signs of a troubling reversal in these coverage gains, accompanied by decreasing child enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP. While factors vary by state, new federal and state restrictions on coverage-- including work reporting requirements or conditions-- could exacerbate this reversal.