Other News Video |
Survey: Number Of Uninsured Children Falls
Statistics Find More Kids Enrolled In Government-Financed Programs
POSTED: 3:51 pm EST December 31,
2002
WASHINGTON -- A new government survey found that more kids have health insurance thanks to public health programs.
The survey found that the number of kids without health insurance continued to fall during the first half of the year, but more than 7 million children still don't have insurance. The survey from the National Center for Health Statistics found that fewer kids have private insurance, but there's been a jump in the number of kids covered by government-financed programs.
One program being credited is the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which was created in 1997 for families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to buy insurance on their own."More and more children are getting the health care they need, thanks in large measure to our success in working with states to expand health coverage through the SCHIP program," Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said. "We are giving governors the flexibility they need to continue to expand coverage to more children, and our strategy is paying off for children and parents alike." The Bush administration hasn't backed proposals to expand the program, but it has proposed tax breaks to help people buy private insurance.Overall, 14.2 percent of the population -- 39.4 million Americans -- was without health insurance coverage in the first half of 2002, about the same as in 2001, and down from 15.4 percent in 1997, according to the survey.Working-age adults were more likely than seniors or children to lack health insurance coverage, with 18.5 percent of those ages 18 to 64 without coverage. Additional Resources:
HEALTH INSURANCE RESOURCES |
|
|
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
