Previous Medicaid status of children newly enrolled in supplemental security income

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program for children and adolescents has experienced a fourfold enrollment growth since 1989. Most SSI recipien ts also receive Medicaid, and SSI growth could therefore lead to major new Medicaid expenditures if new SSI recipients were not Previous Medicaid enro llees. Using Medicaid claims for 1989-92, we determined whether SSI expansi ons included many children new to Medicaid as well as whether children with certain disabilities were more likely to have had Medicaid prior to SSI en rollment. Rates of new SSI enrollees without previous Medicaid coverage dec reased from 53 percent in 1989 to 39 percent by 1992.