Study: Fewer Minnesota Children Are Uninsured

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The number of uninsured children in Minnesota dropped by 16,000 between 2010 and 2012.

That's according to a new national analysis by Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families.

Reports say the number is what officials predicted when Gov. Mark Dayton and legislators expanded access to the state's MinnesotaCare program last July.

Although the change in MinnesotaCare access can't be entirely credited for the progress, Elaine Cunningham, with the Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota, says she believes it contributed to the gains.

Officials with Georgetown University say the shifts in Minnesota and other states represent progress that will accelerate as more families take advantage of subsidies and other coverage options next year under the Affordable Care Act.