Report Shows Nearly a Third of Children in Wisconsin's Rural Communities Have Medicaid Coverage

Tuesday, January 21st, 2025 -- 12:01 PM

(Hope Kirwan, Wisconsin Public Radio) A national report shows nearly a third of children in Wisconsin’s rural communities have Medicaid coverage.

The report from Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau to estimate the percentage of rural and small-town residents enrolled in Medicaid and the percentage in metropolitan areas.

The research found that nationally, a higher percentage of children and non-elderly adults in rural areas are enrolled in Medicaid compared to urban areas.

In Wisconsin, the data shows the two groups have similar percentages of children in the joint federal and state health insurance program, with about 32 percent of kids in rural areas and 33 percent of kids in metro areas.

Both rural and metro areas of the state have just under 15 percent of adults under the age of 65 enrolled in Medicaid. More than 14 percent of seniors in Wisconsin’s metro areas have Medicaid, compared to just under 12 percent in rural areas.

"I think there is a misperception that Medicaid is more important in urban areas, and that's just not the case," said William Parke-Sutherland, senior policy analyst with state advocacy group Kids Forward.

He pointed out that most counties in northern Wisconsin, a largely rural area, have more than a third of children enrolled in Medicaid.

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