Using State Child Support Enforcement (IV-D) Agencies to Increase SCHIP Enrollment

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

This final report points out that the State of Connecticut could have enrolled many more children in health care programs if the State child support enforcement agency and the State agency administering the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) had done a better job of coordinating information maintained by each agency. Specifically, we estimate potential enrollment in SCHIP could have increased from 8000 children to approximately 21,100 children (95 percent of the State's 1998 target). Further, our review showed that non-custodial parents could have contributed an estimated $10.9 million of the $17.6 million that it would cost to enroll these children into SCHIP. Recommendations call for actions the State needs to take to overcome the barriers to meeting these objectives. The State concurred with our recommendations.

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