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As a state that has yet to expand Medicaid, Texas continues to fall behind other states when it comes to healthcare access, including maternal healthcare.
Much of this has to do with the lack of access to affordable health coverage.
According to a new report from UnidosUS, Texas is the country’s worst state when it comes to providing healthcare coverage for children.
The report found that over 1 million children in Texas lacked health coverage in 2024 – a metric that accounts for 14% of the childhood population of the state.
This is compared to the 6% of US children that were uninsured.
What’s more, a staggering 66% of uninsured children in Texas were Latino.
“Being born in Texas more than doubles the likelihood that a child will grow up uninsured — pushing families into impossible choices between paying for rent, groceries or medical care,” said UnidosUS Texas State Director Eric Holguín in a news release. “For Latino children the problem is even more acute and exposes them to serious harm that damages their long-term health and ability to thrive.”
Here are six key takeaways from the report.
1. South Texas Emerges as the Worst Region for Childhood Health Coverage for Latinos
Of the thousands of children who don’t have access to health coverage in Texas, South Texas ranks among one of the worst areas for Latino children, according to the report.
In the Rio Grande Valley, 15% of children are uninsured.
97% of those uninsured children identify as Latino.
In San Antonio, 11% or 71,742 children are uninsured.
A whopping 74% of these children are Latino.
2. Texas Has Ranked the Lowest for Childhood Insurance 20 Years in a Row
This is the 20th consecutive year that the Lone Star State has landed on the bottom of the list for childhood insurance access, according to the report.
Not only does it rank at the lowest, but there is a significant gap between Texas and other states.
In Texas, 13.6% of the childhood population is uninsured, compared to the second to lowest state – Arizona – at 9.3%.
The state with the best access to childhood insurance was Massachusetts at 2.1%.
3. Latinos Have the Highest Uninsured Childhood Population in the US
Latino children are the least likely to have health coverage compared to children from other backgrounds, according to the report.
In 2024, 733,000 Latino children were uninsured in Texas.
This was followed by 202,000 or 18% White children and 113,000 (10%) Black children.
4. Many Children Qualify for Medicaid but Aren’t Enrolled
Despite nearly half of the uninsured children in Texas being eligible to enroll in Medicaid or CHIP programs, none of them are enrolled.
The report found that another 31% to 45% of these children also qualify for tax credits.
And between 79% and 93% of uninsured children in Texas qualify for health care programs.
What’s more, 170,000 uninsured children in Texas participated in SNAP in 2023.
The report identifies the lack of automatic Medicaid renewals as a primary cause of this inconsistency in Medicaid coverage.
Furthermore, expanding Medicaid coverage for low-income adults in Texas would likely increase the number of insured children, according to the report.
“Texas’s decision not to cover uninsured, low-income adults denies health care to 650,000 adults, 40% of whom have children who live at home, and nearly 60% of whom are Latino,” the report stated.
5. Lack of Insurance Hurts Children and Families
Lack of health insurance can delay regular health visits, culminating in a higher risk for adverse health conditions that can go left untreated, resulting in worse health outcomes.
It can also lead to poorer school performance, which leads to fewer opportunities for higher education and career advancements.
Not only does lack of insurance harm those who are uninsured, it also hurts the healthcare system.
Without insurance, many children and families turn to hospitals as a primary source of healthcare.
When this happens, hospitals are left to make up the financial difference and often have to raise costs.
6. What Does Access to Insurance Look Like Where You Live?
What is the status of health insurance in your community?
Find out by downloading a Salud America! Health Report Card for your town!
Enter your county name and get auto-generated local data with interactive maps and comparative gauges on several health indicators. This can help you visualize and explore local issues in education, housing, transportation, food, health, and more.
See how your county stacks up compared to the rest of your state and nation.
Then email the Report Card to local leaders to raise awareness, include the data in a presentation or grant proposal, or share it on social media to drive healthy changes in your community!
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