Boise, ID — A new report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families reveals too many of Idaho’s youngest children are going without health insurance, with the state ranking among the highest in the nation for uninsured kids younger than age six. Idaho’s uninsured rate for children younger than 6 years old jumped from 5.8% to 7.9% between 2022 to 2024. This spike resulted in Idaho having among the top 5 highest rates of uninsured children under 6 nationwide in 2024. The number of uninsured children rose from 7,900 in 2022 to 10,700 in 2024, a 36% increase in just two years.

These findings raise urgent concerns because early childhood is a critical period for physical, cognitive, and emotional development, when consistent access to health care plays a vital role in setting a strong foundation for lifelong health and success. Young children need consistent access to health coverage to receive regular checkups, developmental screenings, and timely care when issues arise.

The consequences of losing coverage at such an early age can be significant. Children without health insurance are more likely to delay or forgo care, which can lead to more serious health problems and higher costs over time. Missing these critical services in the early years can lead to more complex health issues later and can undermine efforts to ensure children are ready to succeed in school and beyond.

“All it takes is one broken arm on the school playground to financially devastate a family already struggling to make ends meet,” said Ivy Walker, Policy Associate at Idaho Voices for Children. “This should be a wake-up call for Idaho policymakers because the unfortunate truth is that children’s access to health care is about to get much worse.”

Access to health care is already under increasing strain in Idaho. Recently, state lawmakers have reduced Medicaid funding through provider payment rate cuts and other budget decisions, weakening the financial stability of health care providers that serve children and families. These reductions are likely to have lasting consequences, particularly in rural communities where provider shortages are already severe and where Medicaid plays an outsized role in sustaining pediatric care.

“Lower payment rates mean that some providers may limit the number of Medicaid patients they see or may be unable to continue offering certain services altogether. As a result, even children who remain insured may face growing barriers to care, including longer wait times, fewer available specialists, and greater travel distances to access services. For rural Idaho families, these challenges can make it significantly harder to get timely and appropriate care during the most critical years of a child’s development,” said Walker.

At the same time, federal policy changes threaten to add further pressure. Recent cuts to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) under H.R. 1 are expected to reduce federal support for state programs, but the full impacts of those changes have not yet been realized. As these cuts take effect, they are likely to compound existing challenges by placing additional strain on Idaho’s Medicaid program and the providers who depend on it, potentially leading to even greater gaps in coverage and access for children.

Taken together, these trends create a compounding effect. More children are losing coverage at the same time that fewer providers may be available to serve them, and Congress has indicated that additional cuts may be coming. Without action, these pressures threaten to widen gaps in care and leave more Idaho children without access to the services they need to grow and develop.

We call upon Idaho’s lawmakers to stabilize and strengthen children’s coverage in Idaho by improving outreach and enrollment, reducing administrative barriers, and ensuring adequate investment in Medicaid and CHIP. Protecting access to care will require not only keeping children insured but also supporting the providers that serve communities across the state. Without meaningful action, the state risks reversing years of progress and undermining the health and future of its youngest residents.

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