Study: 759,000 uninsured children have asthma

An estimated 759,000 children with asthma lack appropriate health insurance, according to a study published in the January issue of Ambulatory Pediatrics. These children are 14 times more likely to go untreated than children with private insurance.

The results were taken from the National Survey of Children's Health conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. The survey was based on a nationally representative sample of over 8,000 asthmatic children. Of those, 13% had partial or no health insurance (public or private): 7% regained coverage, 4% lost it, and 2% did not have it at all over a 12-month period.

In addition, nearly one-third of uninsured children did not have a personal primary doctor. One third of children who lost insurance, and one half of children who went a whole year without coverage, did not see a doctor for preventive care in that time. The study revealed that 30% of asthmatic children with partial or no health insurance have families with incomes over 200% of the federal poverty level, making them ineligible for state-funded child health insurance, even though most can't afford private insurance.