Parental employment and health insurance coverage among school-aged children with special health care needs.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined parental employment and health insurance coverage among children with and without special health care needs. Special needs were defined as conditions likely to require a high amount of parental care, potentially affecting parental employment.

METHODS

Data from the 1994 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed for 21,415 children aged 5 to 17 years, including 1604 children with special needs. Logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of special needs on the odds of full-time parental employment and on the odds of a child's being uninsured, having Medicaid, or having employer-sponsored insurance.

RESULTS

Parents of children with special needs had less full-time employment. Their children had lower odds of having employer-sponsored insurance (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.7) than other children. Children with special needs had greater odds of Medicaid coverage (adjusted OR = 2.3-5.1, depending on family income). Children with and without special needs were equally likely to be uninsured.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower full-time employment among parents of children with special needs contributes to the children's being less likely to have employer-sponsored health insurance. Medicaid covers many children with special needs, but many others remain uninsured.