Healthcare advocates worry that drops in children’s insurance coverage could only worsen as a result of the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

October 9, 2020

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — During a time when the economy was notably strong, Missouri saw a significant increase in the number of children without health coverage.

An annual report released today by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families reveals in 2019, roughly 95,000 kids in Missouri were uninsured, a nearly 34% increase from 2016.

Lindsey Baker, research director for the Missouri Budget Project, said the trend has long-term consequences, both for children and communities across the state.

“Without health coverage, children can’t access the care that they need to grow and thrive,” Baker asserted. “And there are long-term implications, both for health directly but also for economic success as those children grow older.”

Missouri’s rate of uninsured kids mirrors the national rate and reverses a