Discontinuous Coverage in Medicaid and the Implications of 12-Month Continuous Coverage for Children

Examines the implications of continuous coverage for children using Medicaid enrollment and payment data for California, Michigan, Missouri, and New Jersey. Finds that discontinuity affects a small proportion of children who would qualify for continuous coverage and that some groups of children, such as older adolescents and Hispanics, are at higher risk of discontinuous coverage than others. Suggests that continuous coverage may be an important component of a state's efforts to eliminate health disparities across different segments of the population.