More than 13% of Texas kids don’t have health insurance. Experts warn it could get worse

Texas saw the largest increase in the rate of uninsured children in the country between 2022 and 2024 — and experts warn it will likely get worse.

Texas once again had the worst rate of uninsured children last year, with more than 13% of kids without coverage. That’s more than double the national average and about 5% higher than the next two closest states, Florida and Oklahoma, according to a new analysis from Georgetown University.

What’s behind the significant increase in Texas?

Joan Alker, a research professor and executive director of the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, said the way Texas handles Medicaid was part of the reason the state saw a 29% increase in the number of uninsured children between 2022 and 2024.

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