EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE 12:01 a.m., March 9, 1998
Contact:
AHCPR Public Affairs
301/594-1364
Karen Carp, x1378
([email protected])
Venese DeJernett, x1317
([email protected])
NEW RESOURCE AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN'S HEALTH DATA:
Millions of American Children Still Uninsured and Face Barriers to Care
The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) today released a new sourcebook on data about children's health. The data in Children's Health 1996 highlights findings from AHCPR's 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).
"This publication allows policymakers, advocacy groups, or anyone with an interest in children's health to understand quickly many important aspects of our children's health data," said AHCPR Administrator John M. Eisenberg, M.D. Dr. Eisenberg said that chartbooks highlighting other aspects of MEPS data are planned.
The chartbook is split into three sections which provide information on children's health status, access to care, and health insurance status. The information is presented in an uncomplicated way, using a question and answer style and many pie charts and bar graphs to communicate current data on children's health.
Significant findings on children's health included in the chartbook are:
o In 1996, nearly 11 million children were uninsured.
o About 90% of all uninsured children lived in households with at least one working adult.
o 52.8% of children insured through Medicaid are living in households with at least one working adult.
o At least 3.3 million American children under age 13, and more than 1 million age 13 and over, are eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled.
o Of families who said they did not receive needed health care, 60% said they did not get care because they could not afford it.
o Children aged 13-17 years are nearly three times less likely to have a usual source of health care, compared with children aged 5 and under.
o Children in fair or poor health were as likely as children in excellent health to be covered by some form of health insurance. However, 41.8% of children in fair or poor health were covered by a public health insurance program, while only 15.1% of children in excellent health had public insurance.
o Hispanic children are more likely than black or white children to be uninsured (27.7% of Hispanic children, compared with 17.6% of black children, and 12.3% of white children).
o Hispanic children are more likely than black or white children to be in fair or poor health (7.8% of Hispanic children, compared with 4.2% of black children and 2.9% of white children).
Children's Health 1996 (Publication Number 98-0008) is available through the AHCPR Publications Clearinghouse by calling (800)358-9295, or writing to Children's Health 1996, P.O. Box 8547, Silver Spring, Md., 20907. It also is available through the redesigned AHCPR Web site at www.ahcpr.gov.
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