The Children’s Defense Fund-New York (CDF-NY) released a report today based on the most recent Census data, showing that the number of uninsured children and teens in New York grew by 61,000 in 2005, a 17 percent increase over 2004. The increase is the first in nearly a decade.

“New York can and must do more for our children.  We need Governor elect Spitzer to turn his campaign promise into reality,” states Donna Lawrence, Executive Director of CDF-NY.  “Over the last decade, New York has made tremendous strides in providing health insurance coverage for children, but we are witnessing a decline in the gains we worked so hard to achieve.  2007 presents a new opportunity to ensure quality and affordable health coverage for all children.”

In 2005 there were 415,000 children and teens living without health insurance in New York.  That represents nearly 9% percent of all children in the state.

• The vast majority of these children is already eligible for health insurance but is not participating.  New York’s complicated application process prevents many of these children from enrolling. 
• The remaining uninsured children live in families whose incomes fall above the Child Health Plus eligibility levels. 

According to CDF-NY’s report, this loss in coverage points to the state’s recent slackening commitment to health coverage for all children. A number of state policy changes, including a cut in Medicaid eligibility for children six through 18 years of age, have resulted in the loss of health insurance coverage for tens of thousands of children.

In addition, the state has decreased funding for enrollment programs that enable working parents to register their children for health insurance at community settings that are open evenings and weekends instead of at welfare offices that are open only during working hours. These provisions, coupled with a decline in employer-sponsored health insurance, have also contributed to the increase in the number of uninsured children.

 CDF-NY calls for new strategies to provide health insurance coverage to every New York child. This coverage proposal has three components: 

(1)   Extend subsidized health insurance Coverage to children in families with incomes up to 500 percent of the federal poverty level to reach nearly all the uninsured children who are currently not eligible;

(2)   Implement simplification measures that would ensure that all eligible children and teens can participate in the health insurance they need.

(3)   Increase funding for community-based enrollment programs

The estimated cost of CDF-NY’s plan to provide health insurance for all children in New York is $ 46 million in state funds for the first year. According to an Urban Institute study, in 2005, hospitals, physicians and government spent more than $6 billion caring for uninsured New Yorkers. 

Click here to view the full CDF-NY report (pdf)

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The mission of the Children’s Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind® and to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.  For more information visit http://www.cdfny.org/.