Although there are many outreach health care programs for children supported by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the fact remains that there is a gap in the services that are being provided to the children (Johnson & Deleon, 2016). With that said, it is essential to conduct program evaluation to assess the gaps and determine trends in susceptibilities (Bhattacharya, 2013).
There are different programs such as the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and the children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) that are there to help low-income families. These programs were designed to help the less fortunate population including those with complex care needs; however, there are gaps in insurance coverage that are at a disadvantage to those children (Kerry, Julia, Parminder Kur, & Michelle (2017). In that context, evaluating these programs would allow stakeholders to examine the missing components such as health care disparities, and population vulnerabilities (Bhattacharya, 2013).
Before 1997 there was the Medicaid program for low-income families which mandated that all participant provide insurance to some children based on age and income level (Bhattacharya, 2013). In 1997, the State Children Health Insurance Program was created with the intent of providing insurance coverage for
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The affordable care act added the focus on expanding and strengthening national commitment while providing health insurance to all children (Children’s Health Insurance Program, 2014). Medicaid expansion, on the other hand, is a system that offers a comprehensive benefits package; though, there are concerns about its flexibility, guidelines, and uncertainty on how the program works (Bhattacharya,