Nevada Children ‘Lag’ in Insurance Coverage, Study Finds
In Nevada, 32.5% of low-income children lack health insurance, a rate 11.8% higher than the national average, according to a National Center for Children in Poverty study. The Las Vegas Sun reports that other figures in the study showed the state to be "in better shape": 15.2% of Nevada's children live in poverty, lower than the national average of 23.1%; 39.5% of state children come from families with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level, below the national average of 46%. State officials noted that the study did not include the results of a "tremendous surge" in enrollment in Nevada Check Up, the state's CHIP program. Nevada Check Up managing chief John Yacenda said the program enrolled 10,000 children last year. Jeanette Hills, deputy administrator for Nevada State Welfare, added that the study's findings were not surprising, given the state's high number of "low-paying jobs that do not offer health insurance for children" (Koch, Las Vegas Sun 12/20).
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