By AP
Frankfort, KY – New Census figures show a greater percentage of children in Kentucky have health insurance than the nation as a whole. The Courier-Journal reports, 93% of Kentucky children are insured, compared with 90% for the United States overall. In recent years, Kentucky has worked to enroll more lower-income children in Medicaid and the Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program. KCHIP provides free or low-cost health insurance to children whose families earn up to double the federal poverty guidelines, or $44,100 annually for a family of four.
Gov. Steve Beshear announced an initiative last November to enroll an estimated 67,000 eligible children in Kentucky. The rate of uninsured children varies from 2% in Massachusetts to 20% in Nevada.