Characteristics of Impacted Children
Between 2022 and 2024, the uninsured rate among Kansas children rose by just more than a third overall, but this increase was not evenly distributed. Within the children’s population, the increase in uninsured rates varied by age group. Children under age 6 experienced a sharper rise in uninsured rates, nearly doubling from 3.7 percent to 7.2 percent. In comparison, rates among children ages 6 to 18 increased by about one-fifth, from 5.8 percent to 7.0 percent. This mirrors national trends for these age groups. However, Kansas had the largest relative increase in uninsured rates among children under age 6 among all states.
Racial and ethnic disparities were especially pronounced, with the uninsured rate among Hispanic children of any race increasing by a statistically significant 87.0 percent, from 8.6 percent to 16.2 percent. Although not statistically significant, the increase among non-Hispanic Black children was still notable at 72.7 percent, from 5.7 percent to 9.8 percent. In comparison, the uninsured rate among non-Hispanic White children rose by just 3.9 percent, from 3.9 to 4.1 percent.
Income also played a significant role. Children in families with incomes between 256 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) experienced the largest increase in uninsured rates, at 73.2 percent. This group may include children who lost Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage during the unwinding process but whose families still struggle to afford marketplace or employer-sponsored coverage. Children in families with incomes at or below 255 percent FPL experienced a statistically significant 44.6 percent increase in uninsured rates. In contrast, the uninsured rate among children in families with incomes above 400 percent FPL decreased slightly, suggesting that higher-income households were largely insulated from these losses. However, the decrease was not statistically significant.
Having a parent (or head of household) who was working did not shield children from coverage loss. Children with part-time working parents saw the sharpest rise in uninsured rates (70.2 percent increase), followed by children with full-time, year-round working parents (34.5 percent increase). Both increases were statistically significant. Children with unemployed parents saw the smallest increase in uninsured rates at 16.5 percent, which was not statistically significant.
Source: www.khi.org
