Posted by Nathan Pittman on January 25th 2012
Report outlines challenges remaining for covering kids
LITTLE ROCK - The number of uninsured children dropped in Arkansas even as families continued to feel the effects of the recent recession, according to a report today by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.
The report, Crossing the Finish Line: The 2011 State of Children's Health Insurance in Arkansas, provides a detailed look at how the state's uninsured children fared in recent years and what the outlook is for their future. The report shows that the uninsured rate for kids dropped in Arkansas from 9.4 percent to 7.3 percent between 2008 and 2010.
"Despite a recession and a child poverty rate that climbed over 27 percent, there are fewer Arkansas kids going without health coverage than ever before," Anna Strong, AACF Health Policy Director. "But a challenge remains. That 7.3 percent represents a significant number - 54,000 children who remain uninsured."
More of these uninsured children would be covered if Arkansas had addressed some of the challenges it faces in covering more kids.
- 28,000 kids fell off ARKids First in 2010 because of red tape in the enrollment process. Implementing Act 771 would help streamline this process to keep these children insured through income fluctuations and address changes.
- Families just above the income level for ARKids First have the highest rate of uninsured children in any income level. Thousands would benefit from expanding ARKids First coverage to 250 percent of poverty, which was called for in 2009 legislation.
- New data shows that certain groups, such as Hispanic children and school-age children, still aren't getting covered. More targeted outreach efforts and policy changes could help these children stay insured.
The majority of those still uninsured are eligible for ARKids First, and the report outlines several ways of enrolling these children. In addition to red tape reduction, the expansion to 250 percent of poverty and improved outreach listed above, the state needs to work with state leaders to develop new payment options for health care services to help control rising costs and improve quality, and implement the federal Affordable Care Act to ensure no child falls through the cracks.
"These are positive signs for uninsured kids in Arkansas," said Rich Huddleston, AACF Executive Director. "But the fact remains that tens of thousands of children are going without the medical services they need because they are not insured. Is is our hope that this report will help in the efforts of Arkansas policymakers, advocates and families to better understand the challenges facing us and work to find solutions so that we may one day cross the finish line and ensure coverage for all of Arkansas' children and families."