Medicaid and State Plans Cover Growing Number of Children
In 2005, researchers at the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) at the University of Minnesota, in collaboration with the Urban Institute, prepared a report, Going Without: America's Uninsured Children, analyzing how many children had health insurance coverage, and how coverage related to children's health status and their access to health care services.
- Some 8.4 million children lacked health insurance in 2004, but more than 70 percent of them appeared to be eligible for Medicaid or State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage.
- The number of uninsured children decreased by almost 2 million from 1998 to 2003, largely due to enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP.
- Minority children made the greatest gains in coverage, although they are still more likely to be uninsured than non-Hispanic white children.
- Compared to insured children, uninsured children were:
- More likely to go without any medical care.
- More likely to miss out on needed medical care.
- Less likely to have a personal doctor or nurse.