Health Services Initiatives: Using a CHIP State Plan Option to Address Asthma Among Children in Low-Income Households

Asthma remains one of the most pressing, costly, and persistent public health problems. It affects more than 26 million people in the United States, including over 6 million children. In-home interventions and other community-based activities can be highly effective in addressing asthma and its triggers. Yet a lack of coverage under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid creates barriers to providing these nontraditional services. With 47.6% of children with asthma enrolled in CHIP or Medicaid, it is important that these programs provide access to the best practices in asthma care for their enrollees.

Our new issue brief, co-authored by Families USA and the Childhood Asthma Leadership Coalition, with key partners, the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative and the National Center for Healthy Housing, looks at a long- standing but underutilized provision in CHIP — the health services initiative (HSI) — that gives states a flexible opportunity to leverage federally matched funds to design, implement, and advance asthma interventions for children in low-income households. Read the full issue brief for more.