State Children's Health Insurance Program: A Lifesaver for Children

The problems associated with a lack or absence of health insurance continues to become more obvious every day. In 1997 the federal government recognized a critical problem among children whose parents, many of whom were working, could not afford insurance, and created the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Many of these children did not qualify for Medicaid and thus, children of the working poor, often went without the most basic of health care services. This article describes the history of the SCHIP programs and how the nurse practitioner needs to become proactive in the care of children who are not getting their health care needs met because of a lack of insurance.