Aubrianna Osorio

On the heels of President Trump’s executive order directing changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated data for the 2025-2026 school year showing a decrease in coverage on all vaccines for incoming kindergartners. Specifically, vaccination rates to protect against diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, and varicella (also known as chickenpox) decreased in more than half of the states.

As states prepare to implement work reporting requirements, we are closely monitoring Medicaid and CHIP performance indicators on our H.R. 1 tracker. The latest Q1 2026 data show the status of state eligibility systems and processes right before most states start notifying enrollees about the requirements. The short answer: already strained and getting worse. Renewals are gradually backing up.

What happens when children don’t have health insurance? Their families are exposed to greater financial risk if an accident or asthma attack puts their child in the emergency room. They are less likely to get regular check-ups and health services to keep them developmentally on track. For infants and toddlers, missing regular check-ups risks leaving health conditions or developmental delays undetected until they become more costly to treat later.