November 20, 2013
By Steve Teske,
The economic downturn has not caused more children to become uninsured, according to a report released Nov. 20 by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. The report found that in 2012, 92.8 percent of children had coverage as compared to the 99 percent coverage rate for seniors. Children fare much better than the 79.4 percent coverage rate for adults ages 18 to 64, it added.
“It’s understandable given the slow economic recovery that people would assume that more children are becoming uninsured,” Joan Alker, executive director of the center, said in a press release. “But Americans are largely unaware that behind the scenes, Medicaid and [the Children’s Health Insurance Program] are working to reduce the number of uninsured children.”
A separate poll conducted for CCF found most believe the number of children who are uninsured and living in poverty has increased in the last five years. This impression is likely caused by the slow economic recovery, it stated.
The ACA could further reduce the number of uninsured children by 40 percent, the report said.