This 2003 article assesses a program that subsidizes insurance premiums for the parents of children already in public insurance programs in Alameda County, California. The adult program is not part of Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), but rather is an HMO product offered by a local health plan that enrolls uninsured parents with household incomes up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.

According to the report, despite the concerns of administrators, the program did not attract sicker enrollees. Parents enrolled in the Alameda County program reported better health and comparable health care utilization and unmet needs relative to other low-income adults in the county.

The article can be found on the Health Affairs Web site through the link below.