Congressionally Mandated Evaluation of the Children's Health Insurance Program: A Case Study of Utah's CHIP Program

This case study is primarily based on a site visit to Utah conducted in August 2012 by staff from the Urban Institute. Utah was one of 10 States selected for study in the second Congressionally-mandated evaluation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) called for by the CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) and overseen by the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). The evaluation’s reports build upon findings of the first Evaluation’s case studies and highlight changes to state programs that have occurred since 2006, with a particular focus on state responses to provisions of CHIPRA. The site visit to Utah involved interviews with 30 key informants, including State CHIP and Medicaid officials, legislators, health care providers and associations, health plans and associations, children’s advocates, and community-based organizations involved in outreach and enrollment. (See Appendix A for a list of key informants and site visitors). In addition, three focus groups were conducted—in Salt Lake City and Logan—two with parents of children enrolled in CHIP, and one with parents whose children are enrolled in the Utah Premium Partnership, the state’s premium assistance program. Findings from these focus groups are included throughout the report and serve to augment information gathered through stakeholder interviews.