Since August 2020, Children’s National Hospital—through its Child Health Advocacy Institute (CHAI)—has proudly hosted students from the Atlantis Fellowship program. This year marks the fifth consecutive year of the partnership. Over the course of three weeks, twelve undergraduate fellows were introduced to the powerful role data can play in improving child health. With mentorship from the CHAI team, students explored the Child Opportunity Index (COI) as a lens for understanding differences in neighborhood-level conditions in Washington, D.C., focusing specifically on health insurance coverage and employment rates. In just a few weeks, the students pulled together impressive research papers – we’ll be posting summaries of their research projects. This is post number three in the series.

Education, Housing, and Income Shape Health Insurance Access in Washington, D.C.

Summary of Research Project by Lina Boulezzaz (University of Colorado – Denver), Yang Chen (University of Southern California), and Kush Khedkar (New York University)

Washington, D.C. has one of the highest health insurance coverage rates in the country, with more than 95% of residents insured. Yet behind this strong overall statistic, some neighborhoods continue to face challenges in getting covered—especially those ranked “Low” or “Very Low” on the Child Opportunity Index (COI), a tool that measures conditions like school quality, housing, income, and community safety.

A student research team working with researchers at Children’s National Hospital studied how these neighborhood conditions relate to health insurance access. By pairing COI data with local coverage information, the team explored how factors such as education, housing, income, and community connections may affect families’ ability to get and keep insurance.

Their work highlights the importance of looking beyond overall numbers to understand the local conditions that shape health coverage. The team will continue refining their analysis and is planning to share insights that can help guide efforts to strengthen coverage for children and families across D.C.