Health insurance coverage for Missouri kids improves slightly during pandemic

MISSOURI - A new report found that health insurance coverage for Missouri kids slightly improved after a shift in federal policy.

In 2019, Missouri had an estimated 95,000 uninsured children. That number decreased down to 86,000 in 2021, according to a report published by Georgetown University last week.

Researchers say the decline was part of a national trend due to a federal law that protected access to health care for Medicaid beneficiaries. The law states to keep beneficiaries enrolled during the federally declared COVID-19 public health emergency in exchange for enhanced federal funding.

Despite the change, Missouri's rate of uninsured children (5.9%) is still slightly above the national average (5.4%).