Health

Axios - About 1.75 million fewer kids were enrolled in Medicaid this January than at the start of the Trump administration, according to the most recent federal data.More recent state data tracked by the Georgetown Center for Children and Families shows that figure continuing to grow, said the center's executive director, Joan Alker.

Some children's hospitals are seeing an uptick in uninsured patients, said Aimee Ossman, vice president of policy at the Children's Hospital Association, though she noted most children remain eligible for Medicaid.

There are multiple factors contributing to falling child enrollment, including confusion around the impending work rules Congress enacted in last year's GOP budget law and the Trump administration's immigration crackdown that's discouraging some from enrolling their kids, Alker said.Kids qualify for Medicaid and its sister program, CHIP, at higher income thresholds than their parents, but that's often not communicated clearly to parents.

States are required to keep kids enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP for 12 months at a time. But paperwork verification remains difficult for some families, and Florida is continuing to remove kids whose families don't pay monthly premiums from CHIP.

While the uninsured rate since the start of 2025 hasn't been released, historic trends show that kids who lose Medicaid coverage tend not to get enrolled in other health insurance.

Keep reading