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Economic returns for investing in children's health.

Article Excerpt
Montana's uninsured rate for children is one of the highest in the country, with 14 to 16 percent of the state's children lacking private or public health insurance. Despite a strong state economy, the rate of uninsured children has worsened in recent years. In addition, Montana is one of four states that does not provide Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage to children above 175 percent of the federal poverty level and has the lowest income ceiling in the nation for covering kids under Medicaid. That translates to an unhealthy start for thousands of Montana children and hidden costs of $240 million for Montana providers, employers, and consumers.

Lack of health care access is particularly severe for low-income children below the federal poverty level--$21,200 for a family of four (Figure 1). But not all of the state's uninsured children come from low-income households. Almost 13,000 uninsured Montana children live in households with incomes above Montana's median income of $40,600 (Figure 2.)

Montana state government has initiated several responses to the state's high uninsured rate. Premium assistance and tax credits to small employers under the Insure Montana Program are designed to alleviate the health insurance premium cost squeeze confronting working parents. Montana's 2007 Legislature authorized increasing the poverty cutoff for CHIP from 150 percent to 175 percent of the federal poverty level and increased access to Medicaid for children. But these policy responses still leave 35,000 Montana children uninsured.

Children without regular health care are at a developmental, social, and educational disadvantage compared to those who see a doctor regularly or have a medical home. Healthy children achieve better educational outcomes with a higher likelihood of becoming productive citizens prepared for work, public service, and overall life experiences.

A currently active proposal, the Healthy Montana Kids...

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