More kids in U.S. get federal insurance.(Brief Article)

2002 MAR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Children are increasingly likely to have health insurance as states continue signing them up for a government insurance program for children of the working poor, the government reports.

Hispanics, young adults and men were most likely to lack insurance to help cover the costs of health care.

Overall, 14.1% of Americans were uninsured during the first six months of 2001, which translates to about 38.9 million people. That's down from 15.4% in 1997, according to the National Health Interview Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Studies have found that people with health insurance are much more likely to seek medical care and thus to be healthier that those who must either pay the full cost of treatment out of pocket or rely on charity.

The most significant improvements in insurance coverage have been among children.

In 1997, 13.9% of children were uninsured. Congress responded by approving the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

The move came after lawmakers scuttled then-President Clinton's large-scale plan for getting health insurance to all Americans. Supporters were hoping to chip away at the problem with modest initiatives, beginning with children. They created CHIP for children whose families earned too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford health insurance on their own.