Michigan Health Officials Dispute Urban Institute Report on State’s Uninsured Children

Michigan Department of Community Health officials are disputing an Urban Institute study finding that fewer state children are insured than when welfare reform started, the AP/Detroit News reports. According to the institute's report, Michigan's situation "worsened" as other states "kept pace with health insurance trends." In Michigan, the report indicated that the percentage of uninsured children rose from 5.5% in 1997 to 7.2% in 1999. On a nationwide scale, however, the study found "little change": 12.2% of children were uninsured in 1997, while 12.5% of children were uninsured in 1999. But Michigan officials said that their "numbers show an opposite trend" for the state. The Urban Institute evaluation included information for 12 other states; Michigan was the only state to show an increase in the percentage of unisured children (AP/Detroit News, 11/10).