Release Date: For immediate release
Contact:Todd P. Dezen, (914) 997-4608, [email protected]
Robert Storace, (914) 997-4622, [email protected]
Brian Ruberry, for March of Dimes, (301) 948-1709, [email protected]
ARIZONA, TEXAS LEAD NATION IN RATE OF UNINSURED CHILDREN, MARCH OF DIMES MAKES INSURING YOUTH TOP PRIORITY IN 2001
WHITE PLAINS, NY, SEPT. 28, 2000 -- One in four children in Arizona and Texas have no health insurance coverage, according to a state-by-state breakdown on the number of uninsured children under age 19 released today by the March of Dimes. The state statistics, based on U.S. Census Bureau data, was commissioned by the March of Dimes.
While Arizona and Texas had the highest rates of uninsured children at 25 percent, Vermont and Rhode Island had the lowest rates in the country at 7.2 and 7.5, respectively.
The new U.S. Census data reveal that the percentage of uninsured children under age 19 in the U.S. dropped from 15.6 in 1998 to 14.1 in 1999.
"While the percentage of uninsured children in the nation has declined, we're deeply troubled that almost 11 million children have no health insurance, particularly considering that most of these children live in low- or moderate-income families and should be eligible for coverage under the existing State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) or Medicaid ," says Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. "States must move faster to enroll eligible children and take full advantage of available federal funds, and the March of Dimes stands ready to help.''
The March of Dimes leadership has identified increasing access to health coverage for women, infants and children as a top priority for its chapters in all 50 states. On Saturday, October 28, the March of Dimes will partner with the Kmart Corporation in a program called "Insure Kids Now," which takes place on national "Make a Difference Day." Thousands of volunteers will be in Kmart and Big Kmart stores across the country to help enroll children in free or low-cost health coverage.
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at www.modimes.org. or call toll-free 1-888-MODIMES. You can access this story at http://www.modimes.org/About2/PressReleases/CurrentPressReleases/UninsuredChild.htm
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Uninsured Children Under Age 19, by State (1997-1999 Average)
Number(in thousands) Percent Number(in thousands) Percent
Alabama 166 14.8 New Jersey 282 13.3Alaska 33 15.2 New Mexico 129 21.8Arizona 367 25.3 New York 707 14.0Arkansas 150 20.2 North Carolina 287 14.8California 1909 19.4 North Dakota 27 15.0Colorado 161 14.4 Ohio 305 9.6Connecticut 95 10.5 Oklahoma 171 19.1Delaware 29 13.3 Oregon 112 12.4Dist of Columbia 19 16.5 Pennsylvania 258 8.4Florida 657 18.8 Rhode Island 18 7.5Georgia 361 16.3 South Carolina 187 17.9Hawaii 29 8.9 South Dakota 23 11.5Idaho 76 19.1 Tennessee 160 10.5Illinois 464 12.7 Texas 1522 25.2Indiana 201 12.3 Utah 87 11.9Iowa 69 8.8 Vermont 12 7.2Kansas 77 10.3 Virginia 228 12.8Kentucky 140 13.8 Washington 161 10.2Louisiana 261 21.9 West Virginia 46 12.2Maine 34 10.6 Wisconsin 128 8.8Maryland 166 13.0 Wyoming 22 15.3Massachusetts 135 8.7 Michigan 291 9.8 United States 11416 15.0Minnesota 122 8.3Mississippi 148 18.2Missouri 137 9.3Montana 51 19.3Nebraska 40 8.0Nevada 123 22.1New Hampshire 31 8.5
Source: Data prepared for the March of Dimes by the Bureau of the Census using Current Population Surveys from March 1998-March 2000. State data are compiled using three-year averages because small sample sizes make single-year state data less reliable. US figures for 1999 only are 10.8 million uninsured children, 14.1 percent of all children under 19.
- 2000 March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. All rights reserved.
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Contact:
Todd P. Dezen, (914) 997-4608, [email protected]
Robert Storace, (914) 997-4622, [email protected]
Brian Ruberry, for March of Dimes, (301) 948-1709, [email protected]
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