title: Parental employment and health insurance coverage among school-aged children with special health care needs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
authors: National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, Md. 20782, USA.
authors: K E
authors: KE
authors: Heck
authors: D M
authors: DM
authors: Makuc
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D014481:United States