the rest of the nation, health care costs continue to rise, straining the budgets of Colorado’s working families. As a result, the number of uninsured kids here in Colorado continues to grow,” said Colorado Lieutenant Governor Barbara O’Brien. “Access to healthcare is fundamental to our administration’s goal to create a better Colorado for our children and our grandchildren, Reauthorization and full funding of SCHIP will enable CHP+ to continue to offer a low-cost health care solution for parents and their children.”

Other state-specific information contained in the analysis includes:

- More than 175,000 children in Colorado (14 percent) are uninsured – that’s about one in every seven kids in the state. This is above the national average of 12 percent, or one in every eight kids.

- Most uninsured children – including children in low-income homes – have parents who work. In Colorado, three out of four uninsured children (76 percent) live with someone who works full-time.

- Since SCHIP began 10 years ago, the number of children living without health insurance has dramatically dropped. Last fiscal year, more than 6 million children in the United States were enrolled in SCHIP.

- For Colorado kids in families who earn modest wages (defined as $40,000 a year for a family of four), the need for SCHIP is great. Nearly two out of three uninsured kids (65 percent) in Colorado are in families who earn modest incomes.

In Colorado, 65 percent of uninsured kids under the age of five live in these low-income households, as do 70 percent of 6-12 year-old uninsured children and 58 percent of uninsured children aged 13-18.

“Because of SCHIP, millions of children can see doctors when they are sick and get the check-ups and prescription medicines they need. That’s an important investment in our nation’s future,” said Lavizzo-Mourey. “Many parents who work but cannot afford health insurance, or are not offered coverage through their jobs, can make sure their children get the health care they need because of these programs. Healthy children are better prepared to learn in school and succeed in life.”

Today’s report was prepared by analysts at the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC), located at the University of Minnesota. The report analyzes data from the U.S. Census Bureau (1998-2006 Current Population Surveys), U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2002-2005) ...