Children’s Health Insurance Program Is on the Brink. Here’s Why That Matters for Education
January 17, 2018
By: Matt Barnum
Source: Chalkbeat
The fate of the Children’s Health Insurance Program is in Congress’s hands — and children’s education, not just their health, may be at stake.
Congress passed a temporary extension of funding for of CHIP in December, through some states will run out of money shortly. The end of the program would come with obvious potential consequences, as CHIP, which covers approximately 9 million children, gives participants more access to health and dental care.
There may also be a less obvious result: Research has found that access to health insurance helps kids perform better on tests and stay in school longer.
A 2016 study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Human Resources, found that expanding Medicaid in the 1980s and 1990s increased students’ likelihood of completing high school and college…