Reports from University of Michigan Provide New Insights into Coronavirus (Continuous Medicaid Eligibility, Child Insurance, and Health Care Use): RNA Viruses – Coronavirus

2026 JAN 07 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at CDC & FDA Daily -- Investigators publish new report on RNA Viruses - Coronavirus. According to news originating from Ann Arbor, Michigan, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Health insurance gaps are common among publicly insured children, undermining health care access and health. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act halted Medicaid disenrollments during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), offering an opportunity to study the impact of continuous Medicaid eligibility on child health insurance coverage, health care access and use, and health.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Michigan, “Using 2016-2022 National Survey of Children’s Health data (n = 182 910), we applied a difference-in-differences approach to compare changes in health insurance coverage gaps, health care access (unmet health care needs [any, mental health, and specialist]), health care use (preventive care, emergency department [ED]), and general health status before and during the PHE between publicly (‘treated’) and privately (‘untreated’) insured children. Adjusted models included child demographics, household characteristics, and state of residence. We also conducted subgroup analyses by child age and special health care need status. Continuous Medicaid eligibility was associated with a 3.1 percentage point (pp) decrease in health insurance coverage gaps (95% CI, -3.9 to -2.3) and a 3.9 pp decrease in ED use (95% CI, -5.7 to -2.0) among publicly insured children. Among children with special health care needs (CSHCN), continuous eligibility was associated with a larger decrease in ED use (-7.5 pp, 95% CI, -11.3 to -3.7) and was additionally associated with a 6.4 pp increase (95% CI, 2.7-10.1) in excellent general health status compared with children without special health care needs. No significant associations were observed with other indicators of health care access or use.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Policies promoting continuous Medicaid eligibility may improve child health care use and health through improved coverage consistency, particularly among CSHCN.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Continuous Medicaid Eligibility, Child Insurance, and Health Care Use. Pediatrics, 2025. Pediatrics can be contacted at: Amer Acad Pediatrics, 345 Park Boulevard, Itasca, Il, United States. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Pediatrics - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/pediatrics-and-neonatology/)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Lindsay K. Admon, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Additional authors for this research include Colleen L. MacCallum-Bridges, Stephen W. Patrick, Katy B. Kozhimannil and Jamie R. Daw.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2025-072529. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

The publisher’s contact information for the journal Pediatrics is: Amer Acad Pediatrics, 345 Park Boulevard, Itasca, Il, United States.

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