4.7 Million Children Qualify for Medicaid

The number of uninsured children who qualify for Medicaid has been vastly underestimated, a government study found. The new tally of 4.7 million children--up from nearly 3 million previously calculated--comes as states begin to enroll children in a new health insurance program meant to cover those missed by Medicaid. The earlier estimates did not account for children who became eligible for the program because of states’ efforts to expand eligibility beyond federal minimums. With about 10 million uninsured children nationwide, Congress and President Clinton agreed last year to a program for children who are not poor enough for Medicaid but whose families can’t afford insurance.