Disparities Found in How States Cover Uninsured Children

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Sara E. Buss, Academic Health Center, 612-624-2449
              Jonell Rusinko, Academic Health Center, 612-624-5680

U OF M RESEARCHERS FIND DISPARITIES IN HOW
STATES COVER UNINSURED CHILDREN
Analysis shows program meant to equalize doesn’t always get the job done

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (Dec. 9, 2004) -- Despite the nationwide decrease in the number of uninsured children, University of Minnesota research shows that for children in some states, access to health insurance is still a problem.

In 1997, when the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) passed, politicians lauded it as an equalizer that would ensure children had access to health care.

And in some cases, it worked.  Uninsurance rates for children in states including Vermont, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin range from lows of four to five percent.

However, children with similar socioeconomic backgrounds in states like Arizona and Texas fare much worse, with uninsurance rates between 19 and 22 percent.

The University’s State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) published their research in the November/December issue of Health Affairs.

Professors Lynn Blewett and Michael Davern found that between the pre- and post-SCHIP time periods (1996-1998 and 2001-2002), for example, only 27 of the 51 states and the District of Columbia had significant declines in the percent of uninsured children after controlling for individual socio-demographic, employment, and other characteristics.  Twenty-nine states saw significant increases in the percent of children enrolled in public health care programs, while only five states saw a significant increase in the percent of children with private health insurance coverage.

“The bottom line is that despite the largest public investment in health insurance coverage since the 1960s, two children with very similar life situations may have dramatically different access to health insurance coverage, simply by virtue of what state they call home,” Blewett said.

Blewett and Davern conclude that a bipartisan effort is needed to work toward equitable distribution of coverage for all of the nation’s low-income children, either through higher federally mandated minimum eligibility levels, new state and federal financial support, or other innovations that get and keep children enrolled. 

The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.