Children often are the first to experience the loss of private health coverage because dependent coverage is often the first to be dropped by employers due to the rising costs of health insurance. By 1997, the percentage had dropped to 63 percent. Since 1989, children have lost private health coverage at twice the rate of adults. Every day, the number of children without private insurance grows by roughly 3,000. Even though children comprise 54 percent of Medicaid recipients, they only account for 23 percent of total Medicaid expenditures.
Uninsured children are at a greater risk for preventable illness.
Studies have shown that uninsured children are less likely than insured children to get needed preventive services and other health care. Providing children and adolescents access to quality health care, with an emphasis on prevention, is a cost-effective investment in our future. While the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 is an important first step in meeting the health care needs for all children and adolescents, millions of children remain uninsured. Extending children s health care coverage must include age-appropriate benefits. Because children are constantly growing and developing, they have very different needs from adults.