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The number of Kansas children without health insurance rose sharply in 2024, reaching the highest level in more than a decade, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data.

Kansas has usually tracked close to the national average, but the gap widened last year. The share of uninsured children in Kansas climbed from 5.6% in 2023 to 7.0% in 2024, compared to 6.0% nationally. This is Kansas’ highest child uninsured rate since 2013.

Low-income Kansans also faced higher uninsured rates. Among residents making less than 138% of the federal poverty level, 18.4% lacked coverage in 2024, up from 16.1% in 2023 and above the national rate of 14.0%.

Overall, about 250,000 Kansans were uninsured in 2024, compared to 27 million nationwide. Kansas’ uninsured rate was 8.5%, slightly above the U.S. rate of 8.2%.

The increase comes after Kansas ended its COVID-era continuous Medicaid coverage in May 2024, part of a nationwide “Medicaid unwinding.” Advocates had warned this could reduce coverage, especially for children.

The new data also shows disparities: Hispanic Kansans had a 22% uninsured rate, nearly four times higher than non-Hispanic Whites (5.8%).