Georgia Child and Health Advocacy Organizations Call for Action to Reduce Coverage Losses Among Young Children
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 11, 2026
Georgia Child and Health Advocacy Organizations Call for Action to Reduce Coverage Losses Among Young Children
A new report from Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families found that the number of uninsured infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is rising faster than for older children nationwide, with nearly 220,000 additional young children under age 6 uninsured between 2022 and 2024. Young children experienced the sharpest increase in uninsurance, a troubling trend given the importance of preventive care, routine medical care, developmental screenings, and early intervention during the earliest years of life.
Matthew Biel, MD, MSc – director of the Georgetown University Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities – said the loss of health coverage is extremely harmful to young children. “Young children in the first few years of life require frequent visits to the doctor to support healthy physical and mental development,” said Biel. “Access to health care is especially important for infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children. When children can’t access the care they need during those early years, they are at higher risk of falling behind developmentally. Health coverage is essential to supporting healthy child development so all that all children can thrive.”
In Georgia, where Medicaid and PeachCare play a critical role in covering young children, these findings underscore the importance of ensuring that families can enroll in and maintain coverage for their youngest children.
Key Facts about Georgia:
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The rate of uninsured young Georgians rose from 5.1% to 6.6%, an increase of 1.5%.
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Georgia’s early childhood uninsurance rate (6.6%) is higher than the national average, which is 5.3%, and higher than our neighboring state of Alabama, which is 4.1%
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The increased number of uninsured children under age 6 in three large states (Texas, Florida, and Georgia) accounted for more than half of the national increase.
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More than half of uninsured children are likely eligible for, but not enrolled in, Medicaid or PeachCare.
While the increase is likely due, in part, to Medicaid unwinding—the process of states resuming Medicaid eligibility reviews and renewals after pandemic-era continuous coverage protections ended—the trend also points to longstanding barriers to coverage. For many families, Medicaid enrollment and renewal processes remain confusing, burdensome, and difficult to navigate, particularly for parents of young children balancing work, caregiving, and other competing demands. Administrative hurdles, confusing notices, paperwork challenges, and difficulty understanding eligibility requirements can all contribute to eligible children losing coverage or never enrolling at all.
Recommendations:
In response, GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, Voices for Georgia’s Children, Georgians for a Healthy Future (GHF), and the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) are working together to advance practical solutions to address this alarming trend. Together, we recommend the following strategies to our state’s policymakers:
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Regularly publish enrollment data disaggregated by age and geography to better understand coverage trends and gaps.
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Target outreach to families with young children through trusted messengers, including child care and Head Start providers, Babies Can’t Wait providers, home visitors, pediatric providers, and other family-serving organizations.
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Allow presumptive eligibility for young children and consider child care programs, Head Start providers, and public schools as qualified entities to support enrollment.
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Prioritize continuous coverage for pregnant women, newborns, and young children by ensuring timely enrollment, seamless transitions at birth, and proactive renewal support.
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Implement a modernized, human-centered technology platform for applications and renewals.
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Invest in a frontline eligibility workforce who are fairly paid, well-trained and co-located in the communities they serve.
For more information, please contact:
Callan Wells, GEEARS, cwells@geears.org
Brittney Newton, Voices for Georgia’s Children, bnewton@georgiavoices.org
Whitney Griggs, Georgians for a Healthy Future, wgriggs@healthyfuturega.org
Leah Chan, Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, lchan@gbpi.org
About GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students
GEEARS is a nonprofit organization working to ensure all Georgia children thrive from birth through age five. We champion research-backed policies and investments, foster cross-sector collaboration, and lead a statewide movement to advance high-quality early learning, healthy development, and family well-being. Learn more at www.geears.org.
About Voices for Georgia’s Children
Voices for Georgia’s Children is the state’s only comprehensive policy and advocacy organization committed to improving the lives of Georgia’s children. Through research and analysis, public education, convening and engagement with state decision makers, Voices is striving to ensure ALL children thrive. Our work is framed in a holistic “whole child” perspective that allows us to identify how different policies impact children and to propose solutions that benefit children on multiple levels. Learn more at www.georgiavoices.org.
About Georgians for a Healthy Future:
Georgians for a Healthy Future collaborates with communities and partners to lead policy change that advances health equity for all Georgians. Our vision is of a day in which all Georgians have equitable opportunities to achieve their highest level of health. We do this by delivering actionable health policy information to policymakers and advocates; providing resources to help consumers become strong advocates and elevating the consumer experience to inform policy change. Learn more at www.healthyfuturega.org.
About the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute:
The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research and advocacy organization that advances lasting solutions to expand economic opportunity and well-being for all Georgians. Learn more at www.gbpi.org.