Study Shows Fewer Children Without Health Insurance
According to data from the Academy and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the number of children without health insurance has decreased with Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Affordable Care Act coverage. To reach this conclusion, researchers looked at 178,038 children from the 2000-2014 National Health Interview Survey to determine who had access to healthcare.
Overall, the rate of uninsured children dropped nearly seven percent over this 14-year period. Specifically, 4.9 million more children obtained health coverage over this time.
In terms of specific demographics, researchers found that nearly 17 percent more Hispanic families had health insurance and roughly 16 percent of poverty-level families could afford coverage.
How were families using their coverage during this time?
- In 2014, 13 percent more families had a well-child visit than they did in 2000.
- Children who did not see a doctor throughout the year decreased about four percent.
- Not seeing a dentist decreased nine percent.
- The number of children with unmet healthcare needs also declined almost two percent.
Researchers concluded that, because more children have access to insurance, more are:
- Up-to-date on their immunizations.
- Receiving more cost-effective care, as opposed to expensive emergency visits.
- Performing better in school.
“While there is still a gap in uninsured rates by income, we’ve made significant progress in shrinking that gap,” said AAP President Benard P. Dreyer, M.D., FAAP, to the press. “It’s critical for our nation’s future health that we provide children at all income levels access to quality health care.”
Do you have a health insurance plan for your whole family? If you’ve been unable to get coverage for your children in the past, learn about affordable options through Ion Insurance. Take the first step and give us a call at 203.439.2815.
