Report: Childrens' coverage varies widely by state

Children are much more likely to be uninsured in some states than others, says a new report from the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, with the West and South lagging behind states in the Northeast and Midwest. 

As of 2010, Massachusetts remained far below the national average of 8 percent, with just 1.7 percent of its children uninsured. Nevada, by contrast, lagged behind everyone else, with 17.4 percent of children uninsured. 

Overall, the report concludes, the trend has been positive: The national rate has fallen from 9.3 percent in 2008, while 34 states saw a statistically significant decrease in the rate of uninsured children. This comes as the uninsured rate for adults has grown worse during the recession, from 19.3 percent in 2008 to 21.4 percent in 2010.

The report credits public programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program for giving children access to healthcare even as the number of children living in poverty soared from 13.2 million to 15.7 million. It notes that private coverage for children fell during the 2008-2010 period (from 64.1 percent to 59.6 percent of children covered) while the percentage of children in public programs increased from 30.2 percent to 36 percent.

The report was released in conjunction with Capitol Hill briefings on Medicaid and children's coverage.

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