DENVER — The number of uninsured children in Colorado jumped to the highest level in more than 10 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
In a new report, the bureau said 6% of Colorado children had no health insurance coverage in 2024 compared to 4.1% the year prior, equating to 15,000 fewer insured kids.
Denver7 anchor Shannon Ogden spoke with the director of health policy at Colorado Children's Campaign (CCC), a nonprofit, nonpartisan child advocacy group, to discuss the findings.
Toni Sarge said the fall-off is the result of the so-called "Medicaid unwinding" following the COVID-19 pandemic. During the health emergency, states did not require families to renew health insurance coverage; it was done automatically. When that ended, the coverage of a lot of kids fell through the administrative cracks.
"It is extremely troubling but not surprising," Sarge said.
- Read the full report below
With new work requirements under President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Act (H.R.1), Colorado Children's Campaign is not optimistic about the near future. H.R. 1 mandates Medicaid recipients participate in work, work programs, education, or community service for 80 hours per month to be eligible for benefits.
"I think that in the health coverage landscape in the next few years, it might get worse before it gets better," Sarge told Ogden.
According to numbers provided by CCC, 6% amounts to 77,000 Colorado kids without health coverage, up from 62,000 the year before. Colorado is home to about 1.2 million children.
