About 11% Of Children Lack Health Insurance, Report Finds

About 11% of U.S. children lack health insurance, according to the 18th annual "Kids Count" report released on Wednesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The report measured the progress of each state since 2000 in 10 areas -- infant mortality rates, teenage birth and mortality rates, child mortality rates, rates of low-birthweight infants, and child poverty rates -- based on Census Bureau data from 2004 or 2005, the most recent information available (Franko, San Francisco Chronicle, 7/25). In addition, the report ranked states in each area, as well as overall (AP/Winston-Salem Journal, 7/25).

The report found that Minnesota, New Hampshire and Connecticut ranked the highest overall and that Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi ranked the lowest (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 7/25). According to the report, the national infant mortality rate decreased to 6.8 per 1,000 live births in 2004 from 6.9 per 1,000 in 2000 (Fitzpatrick, Providence Journal, 7/25). The report also found that the national birth rate among teens ages 15 to 19 decreased to 41 per 1,000 in 2004 from 48 per 1,000 in 2000 and that the mortality rate among teens ages 15 to 19 decreased to 66 per 100,000 in 2004 from 67 per 100,000 in 2000 (Crawford, Arizona Republic, 7/25).

Elizabeth Hudgins, senior director of policy research at Action for Children North Carolina, said that states "need to think creatively about strategies to make sure children get what they need," adding that the report "really provides some guidance in moving forward" (AP/Winston-Salem Journal, 7/25).


The report is available online.

Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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