Family Care Act of 2001

The FamilyCare Act of 2001 was designed to expand health insurance access for low-income families by allowing parents to enroll in the same government-funded programs as their children. It proposed renaming the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to "FamilyCare" and giving states the option to cover parents, legal immigrants, and young adults up to age 20 under Medicaid and the new FamilyCare program.

For everyday citizens, this bill would have simplified the enrollment process and removed several eligibility barriers, such as the "100-hour rule" that previously limited benefits for working two-parent families. Additionally, it sought to improve healthcare for vulnerable populations by funding outreach programs for the homeless and supporting the development of integrated health systems for those who are uninsured or underinsured.