From Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (http://www.papartnerships.org):
Each year, PPC compiles the State of Children’s Health Care data to track children’s health indicators in Pennsylvania as it relates to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and monitors changes over time.
This resource focuses on publicly-funded health care coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Even among children who are insured through Medicaid and CHIP, there are health care challenges that need to be overcome, as many of these children still are not receiving timely screenings, vaccinations and routine check-ups.
Highlights of the 2018 State of Children’s Health Care include the following:
- Uninsured Children: with nearly 96 percent of Pennsylvania children covered by health insurance, we have made progress over the past seven years on closing the uninsured gap. However, we saw a decrease in the number of insured kids over the last year signaling there is still more work to be done to meet the commonwealth’s longstanding goal of providing “universal coverage” for all documented children.
- Lead Screenings: there is much room for improvement in this area; however, it should be noted that progress of nearly a 9 percent increase has been made over the past seven years for Medicaid and CHIP children.
- Annual Dental Visits: data shows only 6 out of 10 children going to regular dental visits, but over the past seven years there has been a 13 percent increase for regular dental visits for Medicaid and CHIP children.
- Inpatient/Hospital Admissions: utilization of inpatient care or hospitalization of children on Medicaid or CHIP has decreased by nearly 23 percent over the past seven years in Pennsylvania, marking this indicator as the most significant positive movement on the report.
- Immunizations: while no significant rate change is noted over the past year, progress of nearly a 7 percent increase was made since the baseline year.
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