1. Health Insurance Coverage Improves for American Children Fewer U.S. children lacked health insurance in the first half of 2001 than at any other time in the past four years, according to the latest national survey of insurance coverage from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey found that the percent of children with public coverage rose from 20 percent in 1998 to 23.1 percent during the first six months of 2001. Children were more than twice as likely as adults aged 18-64 years to have public coverage. 2. Children's Health Under Medicaid: A National Review of Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) "Despite Medicaid's mandate that all eligible children receive early preventive care through the EPSDT program, most states have failed to meet this promise. The percent of children receiving preventive care of any kind through EPSDT remains low. And, the reported numbers take into account only those children who have actually enrolled in Medicaid--many more children meet the Medicaid eligibility criteria, but have not enrolled." The executive summary is posted on National Health Law Program's web site at NHeLP Library. Charts and more extensive reports are available for purchase. 3. Insurance Matters A Massachusetts study found that uninsured children had significant unmet health needs for prescription drugs, medical care, and dental care. For study details, click here: Family Income and the Impact of a Children’s Health Insurance Program on Reported Need for Health Services and Unmet Health Need. 4. State of the States 2002 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's State Coverage Initiatives program released a report providing a comprehensive policy analysis of state efforts to expand health insurance coverage in 2001. It found states are shifting focus from expanding to just maintaining Medicaid and CHIP health insurance, but the outlook is not all bleak. To download a copy of the report in PDF format click here. 5. Expanding CHIP to More Income Levels Uninsured children who are not extremely poor have similar health care needs and benefit from participation in a public health insurance program just as much as the poorest children do, according to new research in Massachusetts. The study demonstrates the benefits of expanding income eligibility for CHIP and suggests that providing coverage to children in the "higher" income category won't cost significantly more than it does for poorer children. 6. Families USA 2002 Health Action Toolkit Families USA offers the background materials, facts and data, and policy analysis to advocate for better health insurance for children and families.