2 million children insured since SCHIP; 8.3 million remain uninsured

The U.S. has 2 million fewer uninsured children than it did when Congress enacted the State Children’s Health Insurance Program in 1997, according to a report released Aug. 9 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report was released to kick off the Foundation’s 2006 Covering Kids & Families Back to School campaign, a nationwide effort to enroll eligible children in public health coverage programs during the back-to-school season.

Despite the success of public programs, nearly 8.3 million U.S. children remain uninsured, most of whom likely are eligible for SCHIP or Medicaid but have not yet enrolled, the report notes. Parents can call (877) KIDS-NOW toll-free to find out if their uninsured children are eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP. “The success of SCHIP and other public programs has provided a much-needed safety net for our nation’s children, especially as fewer children are receiving employer-sponsored coverage,” said RWJF President and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D.

Mississippi-specific data available in the report include:

• 18.9% of our state's children (0-17 years) with insurance did not receive any medical care in 2003. This percentage is second only to Alaska nationally. The national average is 12.3%.
• 25.8% of our state's uninsured children did not receive any medical care in 2003. The national average is 25.6%.
• 20.2% of insured children do not have a personal doctor or nurse (medical home). Mississippi trails only Alaska and Nevada in this percentage nationwide. The national average is 13.5%.
• 31% of uninsured children do not have a medical home. The national average is 35%.