Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

What is CHIP (the Children's Health Insurance Program)?

The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a health coverage program created in 1997 to ensure that children would have health coverage even if their families couldn't afford to pay for private health insurance. Like Medicaid, CHIP is run by each state, with a combination of state and federal funding.

In the majority of states, CHIP provides low-cost health coverage to children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid.¹ But some states integrated their Medicaid and CHIP into a single program with one income limit. You can click on a state on this map to see how CHIP is administered.

How many people have CHIP coverage?

More than 7 million people were enrolled in CHIP nationwide as of late 2024.² These were mostly children, but a few states also provide CHIP coverage to people who are pregnant.³ (Pregnant women have access to Medicaid in every state, with higher income limits than those that apply to other adults.)

What does CHIP cover?

The specifics of CHIP coverage vary somewhat from one state to another. But in all states, the benefits include coverage for wellness exams, immunizations, office visits, prescriptions, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, emergency care, lab work and imaging, and dental and vision care.⁴

When can I enroll my children in CHIP?

Like Medicaid, CHIP enrollment is open year-round. So you can submit an application anytime, and if your kids are eligible their coverage can take effect immediately.⁴

What are the income limits for CHIP eligibility?

Income limits for CHIP eligibility vary by state. You can see details here for each state. In most states, the income limit for CHIP eligibility is at least 250% of the federal poverty level. And in New York, it extends to 400% of FPL. (That amounts to more than $10,700 per month for a family of four in 2025.)⁵

Do families have to pay a premium for CHIP?

About a third of the states have modest monthly or quarterly premiums or annual enrollment fees for CHIP.⁶ But most states do not charge fees to enroll in CHIP. And some states that used to charge premiums have eliminated them in recent years⁷ (in 2020, more than half the states had premiums or enrollment fees for CHIP).⁸

Federal rules prohibit total premiums and out-of-pocket costs (for all enrolled family members) from being more than 5% of the household's income. Across the states that still have premiums for CHIP, the maximum amount charged for a family is generally in the range of $20/month to $84/month, depending on the state and the family's income level.⁶

How is CHIP funded and administered?

CHIP is jointly administered by the state governments and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, although most of the funding comes from the federal government.⁹ But CHIP funding is not permanently authorized, and has to be periodically addressed. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 extended federal CHIP funding through fiscal year 2029.