Ten percent of all uninsured children in the United States live in Texas, approximately 1.4 million children in 1998. The 1997 Balanced Budget Act created the Children's Health Insurance Program to assist states in providing health insurance to their uinsured children. This report will explore the issues involved in the program design, implementation, and funding of CHIP in Texas. Chapter One discusses the relationship between health insurance and health care access and provides an overview of the legislation and its requirements. Chapter Two outlines issues that Texas policy makers may want to consider for program design and program funding. The third chapter examines six program options presented for public discussion. Finally, Chapter Four evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of each of the six options amd makes suggestions for CHIP in Texas.
-- Author's foreword.
