Michigan Ranks #4 Nationwide for Children’s Health Insurance Coverage

Only 3% uninsured: Michigan among top states for kids’ coverage.

Oregon ranks low as well, with 3% of children without insurance coverage and 97% covered.

West Virginia also maintains a 97% coverage rate for children, with only 3% of children lacking health insurance. California and Illinois share a rate of 3.2% of children under age 19 lacking health insurance.

Rhode Island ranks low with 96.7% of children covered, meaning 3.3% lack health insurance.

Texas has nearly 12% of children under 19 years lacking insurance. The Lone Star State reported 11.9% of children without health coverage, affecting 942,538 children.

Arizona ranks second-to-last with 8.6% of children lacking health insurance. Nevada follows closely behind, with 7.9% of children under 19 years uninsured.

Florida and Oklahoma both have 7.5% of children without health insurance coverage. Wyoming rounds out the bottom five states, with 7.2% of children lacking health insurance.

The gap between the top-performing state (Massachusetts at 1.5% uninsured) and the worst-performing state (Texas at 11.9% uninsured) reveals dramatic regional differences in children’s access to health coverage.

According to data from Medicaid.gov,

children represent 47.5% of total Medicaid and CHIP program enrollment nationwide. In December 2024, 37,315,827 children were enrolled in either CHIP or the Medicaid program across the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The study also reveals that younger children tend to have higher insurance rates than older ones. In many states, the percentage of uninsured children under 6 years is lower than the percentage of uninsured children aged 6 to 18 years.

The analysis underscores that state policies play a major role in determining children’s access to health insurance. Among the top ten states for children’s insurance coverage, eight have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, while four of the five worst-performing states have not expanded Medicaid.

Matt Pelo, Founder & CEO of Fore Genomics, said: “The significant variation in children’s health insurance rates across states points to underlying differences in policy approaches and program implementation. States with the highest coverage rates often have robust Medicaid and CHIP programs coupled with state policies that prioritize children’s health access.

“Children’s access to consistent healthcare through insurance coverage is essential for preventive care, early intervention, and overall health outcomes. The stark disparities we see between states like Massachusetts and Texas should serve as both a warning and an opportunity for policymakers to examine successful models and implement changes that benefit all American children.”

Source:

Health Insurance – Census Bureau Tables

https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/program-information/medicaid-and-chip-enrollment-data/report-highlights

Methodology:

Health insurance data was collected from the 2023 ACS.

The percentage of the under-six population, the six to 18 years population, and the combined under 19 years population in the uninsured category were found and ranked to reveal the states with the most and fewest insured children.