Report: 406,000 more U.S. children uninsured in 2018 than 2016

The number of U.S. children without health insurance rose by 406,000 or 11.1% between 2016 and 2018, to 4.06 million, according to a new report by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families based on data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. The uninsured rate for children rose by 0.5 percentage point over the two-year period to 5.2%. Fifteen states saw an increase in the number or rate and only one state (North Dakota) saw a decline. “Recent policy changes and the failure to make children’s health a priority have undercut bipartisan initiatives and the Affordable Care Act, which had propelled our nation forward on children’s health coverage,” said Joan Alker, executive director for the center.