Health of children in title XXI: should we worry?

Background: Capitation rates for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) funded under Title XXI of the Social Security Act were based on assumptions about the health care needs of children enrolled in this program. It has been suggested that parents are selective in enrolling children who are, in their opinion, most likely to need care, and that families who do not view their children as needing such care are more likely to ignore opportunities to seek or to maintain enrollment in SCHIP insurance. Thus, there have been concerns that enrollees might have more health conditions than a general population of children.