No Child Left Behind?

According to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, gaps remain in children's health insurance coverage, varying across states, races and socioeconomic statuses.

These gaps exist even in states with relatively low rates of uninsured children, while some states with high rates exhibit less in terms of coverage-quality gaps. Nevada claimed the highest number of uninsured children at 21 percent, while only two percent of children in Massachusetts children are not covered.

Meanwhile, Rhode Island, Minnesota and Pennsylvania exhibit relatively low uninsurance rates for children but display large gaps in coverage according to race and ethnicity. Conversely, Texas, Arizona, Florida and Nevada all have relatively low coverage gaps but high rates of uninsured children.

Lynn Blewett, Ph.D., principal investigator of the study and principal investigator of the SPH-based, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC), said significant variations at both state and national levels still exist in children's healthcare coverage, the impact of which can be devastating. These gaps often result in treatment delays, which, in turn, causes costs to spike because sicknesses have compounded or worsened during that time.

Julie Sonier, M.P.A., lead author of the study and deputy director of SHADAC, said most disparities can be seen among older, low-income and minority children when compared to their peers.