KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A new report attributes a slight increase in Missouri youth covered by health insurance to growth in government insurance programs.
The study was paid for by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funds health research and programs. Researchers from the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health analyzed government census data and found that the number of Missouri children living in low-income households jumped by 72,000 from 2008 to 2010, the latest numbers available.
The study found that 29.1 percent of Missouri youths had public health insurance in 2010, compared to 26.3 percent in 2008.
The percentage of Missouri youths with private insurance coverage dropped to 64.4 percent in 2010 from 65.5 percent in 2008.
Nationally, 31 percent of children had public insurance and 60 percent private insurance in 2010.
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Online:
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: http://www.rwjf.org/coverage/product.jsp?id74768