U.S. states with highest children's Medicaid/CHIP participation rates 2015

In 2015, Medicaid/CHIP participation in the state of Vermont reached 98.7 percent among all eligible children. Several other states, including Alabama and West Virginia, all had participation rates that surpassed 95 percent.

Enrollment projected to increase

Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) combined to provide insurance to around 35 million children in April 2019, with California covering the largest number of enrollees. The Medicaid program alone covers approximately 28 million children across the United States, which represents the largest enrollment group. A steady increase in the number of children covered by the program is expected in the next few years.

How are both programs funded?

Medicaid and CHIP differ in terms of size and design, but both are jointly financed by the federal and state governments. For the Medicaid program, the federal government matches costs incurred by states at a 50 percent rate. However, the federal government pays a larger share of costs in poorer states – California had the highest Medicaid expenditure in 2018. An enhanced federal matching rate, which is generally 15 percentage points higher than the Medicaid rate, was created as an incentive for states to expand their CHIP programs.