Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Number Of Uninsured Children Climbs For Second Year In Row, Wiping Out Large Share Of Health Law's Coverage Gains
The Hill: Number Of Uninsured Children Rises For Second Year, Tops 4 Million
The number of uninsured children in the U.S. increased for the second year in a row and now tops four million, the highest numbers since ObamaCare became law, according to a new report released Wednesday. According to the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, the number of uninsured children increased by more than 400,000 between 2016 and 2018. (Weixel, 10/30)
CNN: 400,000 More Children Are Uninsured Since Trump Took Office
Roughly 4.1 million children were uninsured in 2018, up from a low of 3.6 million in 2016, according to the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, citing US Census Bureau data. Their uninsured rate jumped to 5.2% last year, up from 4.7% in 2016.Another Census study shows a similar increase, with the uninsured rate for kids increasing to 5.5% last year, up from 5.0% two years earlier. The trend is particularly troubling because it comes during a period of economic growth when more Americans are gaining employment, said Joan Alker, the center's executive director. She fears even more children will lose coverage if the economy falters. (Luhby, 10/30)
Modern Healthcare: Number Of Uninsured Kids Continued To Climb In 2018
Joan Alker, executive director of the Center for Children and Families, said during a call with news media Tuesday that the decline in coverage is "due in large part to the Trump administration's actions or inactions that have made health coverage harder to access or have deterred families from enrolling their eligible children in Medicaid or (the Children's Health Insurance Program). "The increase in uninsured kids can be explained in part by Trump administration actions and rhetoric that have led immigrant families to keep from enrolling eligible kids in government programs for fear of being deported, separated from their children, or having trouble in the future adjusting their status, she said. (Livingston, 10/30)
Georgia Health News: Uninsured Rate For Georgia Children Shows Troubling Rise
Georgia had a spike in its rate of uninsured children between 2016 and 2018, according to a report released Wednesday.The state in 2018 had an uninsured rate among children of 8.1 percent, up from 6.7 percent two years before. Only Tennessee’s rise of 1.5 percentage points was a greater increase in the U.S. over that time. (Miller, 10/30)
WUSF News: Florida’s Rate Of Uninsured Children Continues To Increase
Florida’s rate of uninsured children exceeded the national average, increasing from 6.6 percent to 7.6 percent between 2017 and 2018. The state was one of 15 to show statistically significant increases in the number and or rate of uninsured children. (Miller, 10/30)
