Medicaid and the Health of Children.

The Medicaid program has evolved and expanded since its inception in 1965, providing health insurance coverage for ever-increasing numbers of children living in poverty. During the first 35 years of Medicaid, the program has expanded coverage to include preventive services for children, expanded eligibility criteria to include uninsured children not receiving welfare. The Medicaid program has encouraged innovation in the form of managed care and primary care case management.