Insurance Gaps, More Obesity, More Children At Risk Shown By New National Survey Of Children’s Health

A recent federal survey of children’s health shows more than 6.7 million children in the United States don’t have health insurance, and nearly 1 in 4 insured children lack adequate insurance coverage. The national survey also reveals that rates of obesity increased from 14.8 percent in 2003 to 16.4 percent in 2007. Today more than 10 million youths ages 10 to 17 are overweight or obese…

Where You Live Matters For Low-Income Families With Special Needs Children

In the United States, caring for a child with special health care needs usually means higher medical expenses for a family – particularly for low-income families, who spend a disproportionally large share of their income on their child’s care. Yet the amount of financial burden for these families also depends on their state of residence, says Paul T. Shattuck, Ph.D…

Where You Live Matters For Low-Income Families With Special Needs Children

In the United States, caring for a child with special health care needs usually means higher medical expenses for a family – particularly for low-income families, who spend a disproportionally large share of their income on their child’s care. Yet the amount of financial burden for these families also depends on their state of residence, says Paul T. Shattuck, Ph.D…

$10 Million In Grants Aimed At Enrolling American Indian, Alaska Native Kids In Health Care To Be Awarded

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of up to $10 million in grants to help reach American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children who qualify for, but are not yet enrolled, in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). These new grants are part of a broader effort to find and enroll uninsured children who are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP but not enrolled.

Overhaul Could Leave Kids’ Hospitals Strapped For Cash

Industry advocates say health reform could place a disproportionate burden on children’s hospitals, because they will face cuts along with other hospitals, but do not stand to benefit from expansions in insurance coverage, USA Today reports. Children’s hospitals “serve a high share of patients on Medicaid, which pays hospitals less than private insurance.

Study Shows Lack Of Insurance May Have Figured In Nearly 17,000 Childhood Deaths

Lack of health insurance might have led or contributed to nearly 17,000 deaths among hospitalized children in the United States in the span of less than two decades, according to research led by the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. According to the Hopkins researchers, the study, to be published Oct.

Lack Of Health Insurance Linked To 17,000 Childhood Deaths, US

A new US study concluded that lack of health insurance may have contributed or led to nearly 17,000 hospital deaths among American children over two decades. The study was the work of lead researcher Dr Fizan Abdullah, pediatric surgeon at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Maryland, and colleagues and is due to be published on 30 October in the Journal of Public Health.

Despite High Rates Of Health Insurance Coverage, Major Health Care Challenges Persist For D.C. Children

Despite high rates of health insurance coverage among children in the District of Columbia, children’s access to health care is inadequate and poses a significant health problem for the city’s young residents, particularly those who are publicly insured, according to a RAND Corporation study. The study, conducted by RAND Health and funded by Children’s National Medical Center, assesses health and health care among the more than 100,000 youth residing in Washington, D.C.