Why Do Children Lack Health
Insurance?
Another important issue of concern in understanding the uninsured population is the
reasons behind their lack of coverage. Health services research indicates that the family
income of a significant number of uninsured children exceeds Medicaid income limits, but
falls short of that needed to purchase private coverage. The remaining uninsured children
may fall into the following two categories:
- Children of workers who have employer-sponsored coverage available to them but who do
not take it, potentially due to premium contributions required of low-wage employees by
their employer.
| Percentage of All Workers Offered Employment-Related Coverage |
 |
| Percentage of Workers Offered Insurance Who Are Policyholders |
|
- Children who are eligible for Medicaid. The health insurance status of
children who are eligible for Medicaid is varied:
- 52 percent are actually enrolled in the Medicaid program.
- 26 percent of Medicaid-eligible children are enrolled in private insurance programs.
- The remaining 22 percent of Medicaid-eligible children are uninsured.
| Insurance Coverage of Children Eligible for Medicaid |
|
| Percent of Children Who Are Enrolled in Medicaid |
|
Related
Questions
What led to this?
What other issues are
talked about in this section?
Who presented this material?
|
Target Population 
