Most uninsured children live with working parents

WASHINGTON – Most of the 9 million uninsured children in the U.S. live in homes where at least one parent works full time. In more than one-quarter of the cases, there are two working parents.

The advocacy group Families USA, which promotes universal health coverage, says that finding goes against the stereotype that many people have of the uninsured.

“I think they believe these are low-income people who don’t work, who are very different from themselves,” said the group’s executive director, Ron Pollack. “These are people who work, who are doing the right thing.”

In a report being released today, the group said about two-thirds of the families would qualify for government-sponsored coverage for their children if parents would apply.

“The reason these children are not participating is that, No. 1, many don’t know about it, and No. 2, the enrollment process is cumbersome,” Pollack said.

Mark McClellan, who oversees federally subsidized health insurance programs at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the Bush administration knows that outreach can be improved. He testified recently that President Bush wants to spend $100 million annually to help states, schools and faith-based groups improve enrollment rates.

Overall, 88.3 percent of uninsured children age 18 and under live in households with a working parent. About 70 percent live in households where a parent works full time, year-round, according to the report.

If a worker has access to employer-sponsored coverage, he will pay about $226 a month for family coverage.

The government has two programs that provide health insurance for children:

“Medicaid primarily covers children living in poverty.

“The State Children’s Health Insurance Program covers children who live just above the poverty level. That level is typically between 100 percent and 200 percent of poverty. The poverty level for a family of four last year was $19,971.