Earlier this month, the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Center for Children and Families released a new report on Latino children’s health coverage. According to recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 676,000 Latino children nationally gained health insurance coverage from 2013 to 2015. The uninsurance rate for Latino children declined from 11.5 percent to 7.5 percent during this period – the largest two-year decline on record. The health insurance coverage rate for Latino children now stands at a historic high of 92.5 percent.

In New York State, approximately 21,000 Latino children gained health insurance coverage from 2013 to 2015. The uninsurance rate for New York’s Latino children declined from 4.7 percent to 2.6 percent during this period. New York’s coverage rate for Latino children is now 97.4 percent, significantly higher than the national rate.

Despite these strong coverage gains, work remains. Thanks to a robust Child Health Plus program (New York’s CHIP), all children under the age of 19 who are New York State residents are eligible for health insurance regardless of immigration status, but 27,000 Latino children in New York are still not covered.

The Georgetown report calls for increased outreach and enrollment efforts targeting Latino children and families.

You can enroll your child in Medicaid or Child Health Plus through the NY State of Health Marketplace. If you need enrollment assistance, please visit https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/agent/hx_brokerSearch or call (888) 614-5400.