Health Status Financing and Utilization
The availability of and access to quality health care directly affects the health of the population. This is especially true of those at high risk due to low socioeconomic status or chronic medical conditions.
Children may receive health coverage through a number of sources, including private insurance, either employer-based or purchased directly, and public programs, such as Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP; changed to CHIP in 2009). Eligibility for public programs is based on a family’s income compared to the Federal poverty level. Nearly every State has SCHIP programs that help expand coverage to children who would otherwise be uninsured. Despite the progress achieved through public programs, approximately 8.1 million children remain uninsured in the United States.
This section presents data on the utilization of health services within the maternal and child population. Data are summarized by source of payment, type of care, and place of service delivery.
The topics in this section include: