CHIP’s Role in California’s Medi-Cal Program

Executive Summary

The federal Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is an important supplement to health coverage that Medicaid provides to children, Staff Attorney Alicia Kauk explains in this fact sheet. If Congress fails to re-authorize funding for CHIP, Kauk notes that California would “likely be forced to place barriers on expensive specialty care for children with complex health needs, restricting access to care for children who need it most.”