Georgetown CCF: Texas's Youngest Children Are Losing Coverage — Under-6 Uninsured Rate Jumped From 7.9% to 10.8%, Adding 73,000+ Uninsured Young Kids

New Georgetown CCF research based on 2024 American Community Survey data finds the share of Texas children under age 6 without health insurance rose from 7.9% (2022) to 10.8% (2024) — more than 73,000 additional uninsured young children — while the national under-6 rate rose from 4.3% to 5.3% (Texas Public Radio, June 1, 2026). Researchers tie the deterioration to the Medicaid unwinding, in which more than 2 million Texans lost coverage — roughly 1.7 million for procedural reasons; Texas 2036 estimates about half of the state's uninsured children are Medicaid-eligible but not enrolled. 'The check engine light is on... kids shouldn't be losing health coverage,' Georgetown's Cathy Hope said, with coauthor Elisabeth Burak noting the developmental stakes of coverage gaps in early childhood.

This survey-based measure is distinct from — and compounds — the separately tracked 190,956-child Medicaid/CHIP enrollment decline (Feb 2026 vs Jan 2025).