Exploring Data on Young Children and Medicaid
This year, there have been significant proposed federal funding cuts to Medicaid and other assistance programs. Recent policy shifts are reshaping access to health care, nutrition supports and other services. Young children (ages 0 to 3), one of the most vulnerable populations, will be affected by these changes.
To better understand the landscape of Medicaid in Connecticut for young children, we analyzed several key measures from the Connecticut Department of Social Services Medicaid data, such as enrollment and developmental screenings, along with participation in other services such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC).
Notes About the Data
Medicaid Data
CTData requested data for young children (ages 0 to 3) from the Connecticut Department of Social Services. Any mention of “member” in this analysis refers to young children.
Town-level data was requested for towns where 40% or more of young children receive their early health care through the Medicaid program.
Race and ethnicity are collected as one category. All race categories (Asian, Black/African American, Multiple Races, Native American/Pacific Islander, White/Caucasian) refer to non-Hispanic, while the Hispanic category includes members of all races. Due to large amounts of missing race data, we do not disaggregate by race in this analysis.
Data on developmental screenings depends on pediatricians accurately coding and reporting them when they take place. As a result, the number of young children reported as having received a screening is likely underestimated.
SNAP and WIC Data
Data comes from the United States Department of Agriculture.
SNAP annual participation counts are based on an average of monthly participation for each year.
January 2019 and February 2019 SNAP participation counts are not representative of typical counts due to a partial government shutdown. These months are excluded from the 2019 average.
Many Young Children in Connecticut are Enrolled in Medicaid and Other Benefits
An average of 56,776 young children in Connecticut are enrolled in Medicaid
From 2019 to 2024, Connecticut had an average Medicaid enrollment of 56,776. Enrollment has been consistent across years, ranging from about 55,000 to 58,000 per year. Towns with the highest enrollment are Bridgeport (average of 5,007), Waterbury (4,382), Hartford (4,332), New Haven (3,596), and New Britain (2,479).
Explore Medicaid enrollment counts by year for the state and towns in the table below.
Enrollment in SNAP and WIC benefits continue to rise
SNAP provides monthly benefits to help low-income households and individuals purchase food and is the largest federal nutrition program. This program plays an important role in reducing food insecurity and supporting the budgets of low-income families. From 2019 to 2024 (largest range with full years of data), participation in SNAP in Connecticut increased by 7%, from 364,066 individuals to 389,731.
WIC is a federal assistance program that serves pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and young children up to the age of five who are at nutritional risk. WIC provides access to healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health and social services. From 2021 to 2024 (largest range with full years of data), participation in WIC in Connecticut increased by 16%, from 44,356 individuals to 51,422.
The continued growth in participation in these programs highlights the important role these services play in meeting the needs of children and families in Connecticut.
Explore SNAP and WIC program participation by year in the visualization below.
86% of Young Children on Medicaid are Continuously Enrolled, With Hispanic Children Making Up 38% of Enrollees
Medicaid enrollment increased by 8 percentage points from 2019 to 2024
The proportion of members who remain continuously enrolled in Medicaid throughout the year has increased since 2019. Statewide, only 79% of members in 2019 were continuously enrolled, compared to 90% in 2022, and a drop to 87% in 2024. This trend is similar across all towns with available data.
Continuous enrollment is important because developmental screening data is only available for members who are continuously enrolled.
Explore continuously enrolled member counts and percentages in the table below.
The share of continuously enrolled members without a reported race has risen steadily, increasing from 42% in 2019 to 57% in 2024
It is unclear whether this trend reflects higher rates of non-disclosure on applications or inconsistencies in data collection and reporting methodology from year to year. Therefore, we do not disaggregate by race and only show data on ethnicity.
From 2019 to 2024, an average of 38% of young children were Hispanic.
Explore race and ethnicity data in the visualizations below.
One in Three Young Children Were Not Reported to Have Received a Developmental Screen, and Only 13% Were Flagged for Developmental Concerns
Many young children on Medicaid are reported to not have received an annually recommended developmental screening
While Medicaid-enrolled young children are expected to receive at least one formal developmental screening each year, about one in three are reported to not have received a screen. It is important to note that data on developmental screenings depends on pediatricians accurately coding and reporting them when they take place. As a result, the number of young children reported as having received a screening is likely underestimated.
From 2019 to 2024, an average 65% of continuously enrolled members were reported to have received a developmental screen, ranging from 64% to 68%. However, this percentage varied greatly by town. Towns with the highest developmental screen rates include Torrington (82%), Danbury (79%), and Ansonia (76%), while other towns had low rates, including Middletown (56%), Bridgeport (57%), and West Haven (58%). From 2019 to 2024, Norwalk increased its rate of developmental screening from 55% to 86%, representing a 31 percentage point increase. Other towns with large percentage point increases include Vernon (54% to 69%), Windham (53% to 65%), and Naugatuck (59% to 70%).
Explore reported developmental screening data in the visualizations below.
About one in seven young children screenings result in a potential developmental concern
From 2019 to 2024, an average 13% of young children screenings resulted in a potential developmental concern (positive U3 code). Similar to screening rates, this percentage varied greatly by town. Towns with the highest percentages of positive U3 codes in were Ansonia (average of 24% from 2019 to 2024) and Danbury (20%). Many towns such as Ansonia, Bristol, and Stamford experienced extremely large percentage point increases in positive U3 codes during this time period.
Positive U3 rates varied by race/ethnicity of the young child and by year, with Native American/Pacific Islander members having the highest rates in 2024 at 17%, followed by Hispanic (16%), and Multiple Races (15%).
Explore developmental screening results data in the visualizations below.
Twenty-two percent of young children who are referred to a provider do not receive timely service
Members who receive a positive U3 screen are referred for treatment. In 2024, of the 4,868 members referred, only 3,776 received timely service (which varies depending on age and other factors).
The visualizations below shows a drop from initial enrollment to referral and service, disaggregated by ethnicity.
Looking Forward and Suggestions
Obtain More Detailed Data for Further Analysis
Because the data do not follow individual children over time, the findings represent annual snapshots rather than longitudinal trends. Access to deidentified, record-level data would make it possible to analyze data from cohorts of children from birth through three, allowing us to develop more detailed analyses with the data.
Improve Coding and Reporting of Developmental Screenings
Accurate and consistent coding is important to measure how often developmental screenings occur. Additional training, standardized guidance, and technical support for pediatricians would help ensure that screenings are reported reliably across providers and communities.
Address High Rates of Unreported Race
A significant number of records lack race information, which limits our understanding of differences between communities. It would be beneficial to work with towns to identify why race data are missing at such a high rate and to provide clear guidance on standardized collection methods for demographic data.
The visualization below shows the differences in unreported race by town.
For More Information
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