Cementing Growth: Coverage and Access

for Adolescents

2

Adolescent Health Panel

o SpeakersoDonna Cohen Ross, Senior Policy

Advisor and Director of Enrollment Initiatives at CMCS

oHayley Lofink Love, Director of Research and Evaluation, School-Based Health Alliance

o ModeratoroAlisa Chester, Research Associate at

Georgetown CCF

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Adolescents Have High Rates of Uninsurance

Elderly (65+)

Non-elderly adults (18-64)

Young Adults (19-25)

Children (Under 18)

Adolescents (10-19)

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0%

1.0%

20.3%

25.5%

7.1%

10.4%

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Uninsured Adolescents by Age

Nationally, 10.4% of all adolescents ages 10-19 are uninsured.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 190.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

7.1% 7.3% 7.5% 7.9% 8.4% 9.0%10.2%

10.8%

14.1%

21.7%Percent Uninsured

Age

Rate

of U

nins

uran

ce

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Type of Adolescent Coverage by Age

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 190%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

60%

66%

36%

14%

7%

22%

Private Coverage Public Coverage Uninsured

Age

30% of teen have public health coverage, while 63% have private coverage and 10% are uninsured.

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State Variation in Rates of Adolescent Uninsurance

14.2%

5.6%

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Coverage of Adolescents by Income

≤150% of FPL 151-299% of FPL ≥300% of FPL0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

18.0%

16.0%

13.2%

4.7%

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Adolescent Uninsured Rate by Race and Ethnicity

White

Black

Asian/N

ative

Hawaii

an/P

acific Is

lander

Other/Multirac

ial

American

Indian

/Alas

ka Nati

ve

White

non-Hisp

anic

Hispan

ic0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

9.6% 10.2% 10.7%

14.9%

20.3%

8.0%

18.9%

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Hispanic Teens are Disproportionately Uninsured

Hispanic Teens as a Percent of Total Teen

Population

Uninsured Hispanic Teens as a Percent of Uninsured

Teens

22%

78%

Hispanic Teens All Other Teens

40%

60%

Uninsured Hispanic Teens All Other Uninsured Teens

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Adolescent Risk-Taking Behaviors

1) Drug and alcohol abuse2) Unsafe sexual activity3) Violence4) Injury-related behavior5) Tobacco use6) Inadequate physical activity7) Poor dietary habits

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Long-Term Effects of Medicaid Coverage

• New studies show that Medicaid coverage during childhood leads to: – Healthier teens

• Reduced engagement in risky sexual activity by 3.5 percent• Reduced BMI by 3.9 percent• Significantly reduced alcohol use and eating disorders

– Greater academic achievement• 9.7 percent decline in high school drop out rates• 5.5 percent increase in college graduation rates

– Lower rates of morality• Reduced the mortality rate of Black teenagers (ages 15 to

18) by 13 to 20 percent for internal (treatable) causes