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Updated: Jul 26, 2025

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Health Insurance Coverage Gaps Among Children With a History of Adversity
Chidiogo Anyigbo1,2, Emmalee Todd3, Dmitry Tumin3
1Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Insights
Children with more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) face greater health insurance instability. Higher ACE scores increase the risk of coverage gaps, often due to application issues, impacting healthcare access.
Area of Science:
- Child Health
- Health Services Research
- Social Determinants of Health
Background:
- Health insurance stability is crucial for children's healthcare access.
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are linked to various negative health outcomes.
- Understanding the impact of ACEs on insurance continuity is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between ACE scores and health insurance stability in children aged 0-17.
- To identify reasons for health insurance coverage gaps among children with ACEs.
- To inform policy recommendations for improving insurance access for vulnerable children.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study utilizing a nationally representative, multi-year database.
- Analysis of the association between ACE scores and continuous/intermittent lack of health insurance over 12 months.
- Investigation of reported reasons for insurance coverage gaps.
Main Results:
- Children with 4+ ACEs were significantly more likely to experience part-year uninsurance compared to those with 0 ACEs (RRR: 4.20).
- Higher ACE scores correlated with increased likelihood of year-round uninsurance (RRR: 2.28) and part-year public insurance (RRR: 1.37).
- Difficulties with application or renewal processes were more frequently cited as reasons for coverage gaps among children with higher ACE scores.
Conclusions:
- Adverse Childhood Experiences significantly disrupt health insurance stability in children.
- Policy interventions addressing administrative burdens in insurance application/renewal may enhance access for children with ACEs.
- Improving insurance continuity is essential for ensuring consistent healthcare services for children exposed to adversity.
Abstract:
Health insurance stability among children with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is essential for accessing health care services. This cross-sectional study used an extensive, multi-year, nationally representative database of children aged 0 to 17 to examine the association between ACE scores and continuous or intermittent lack of health insurance over a 12-month period. Secondary outcomes were reported reasons for coverage gaps. Compared with children having 0 ACEs, those with 4+ ACEs had a higher likelihood of being part-year uninsured rather than year-round private insured (relative risk ratio [RRR]: 4.20; 95% CI: 3.25, 5.43), year-round public insured (RRR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.76), or year-round uninsured (RRR: 2.28; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.63, 3.21). Among children who experienced part-year or year-round uninsurance, a higher ACE score was associated with a greater likelihood of coverage gap due to difficulties with the application or renewal process. Policy changes to reduce administrative burdens may improve health insurance stability and access to health care among children who endure ACEs.
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