Health Care

Components

How This Impacts Children's Development

Description

In the United States, families require multiple supports to avoid falling into poverty. This includes paid family and medical leave, and affordable health insurance coverage for parents and children. Without access to health insurance, families are subject to experience financial instability, poorer health outcomes, and an impaired ability to support children’s development.

Read the brief: Parents' and Caregivers' Health Insurance Supports Children's Healthy Development, 2019

Read the brief: How Health-Care Policies Affect Children's Health and Development, 2016

Talking Points from the SRCD Briefs

Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have dramatically improved access to affordable health insurance coverage for parents and children.
- As of 2017, roughly 5% of children and 11.1% of parents were uninsured
Having health insurance increases access and use of preventative services, especially routine checkups, and results in improved health.
- Children's access to public health insurance is linked to better health, education, and career outcomes in adulthood.
The prevalence of obesity, asthma, mental health conditions, and neurodevelopmental conditions has increased, resulting in many children experiencing a lack of access to the specialty care they need.
Improving parents' and caregivers' access to health insurance can improve the health and well-being of the next generation.

Policy Considerations in the Briefs

Address the issues that result in gaps in coverage for low-income children, children with chronic health conditions, and children requiring specialized care.
Develop and implement measures of the quality of services provided in insurance systems, focusing on health and developmental outcomes for children.
Recognize the importance of social context, improving child health requires integrative approaches that link health care providers with schools, community services, and community services.

Read the brief: Parents' and Caregivers' Health Insurance Supports Children's Healthy Development, 2019

Read the brief: How Health-Care Policies Affect Children's Health and Development, 2016