Vermont has the lowest rate of uninsured children in the country, according to data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Maryland.
Two percent of children in Vermont lacked any type of health insurance in 2014. That’s equal to 3,000 people under age 18. The national uninsured rate of children is 6 percent, or 4.4 million.
The data is part of a project called Kids Count Data Book, an annual report that compares demographic trends of children among states, cities, and U.S. territories. The nonprofit organization that creates the book is affiliated with Voices for Vermont’s Children.
“Children without health insurance coverage are less likely than insured children to have a regular health care provider and to receive care when they need it,” Kids Count says on its website.
“They are also more likely to receive treatment after their condition has worsened, putting them at greater risk of hospitalization,” Kids Count says. “Having health insurance can protect families from financial devastation when a child experiences a serious or chronic illness.”
Vermont’s overall ranking was No. 5 for children’s well-being, behind Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and two Midwestern states. Vermont’s kids ranked No. 11 for overall economic well-being, No. 4 for overall educational well-being, No. 3 for family and community well-being, and No. 22 for overall health.
About 19,000 Vermont kids, or 16 percent, lived in poverty in 2014, and about 9,000, or 8 percent, lived in extreme poverty. About 20,000 Vermont kids, or 17 percent, lived in food insecure households in 2014.
