Opportunities to support optimal health for children in Medicaid beyond the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 affects all segments of the population in the United States, including children, who experience physical, social, and emotional consequences from the pandemic. Given substantially higher rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths in low-income communities and communities of color, the disproportionate impact of social determinants may widen health disparities as a result of the pandemic. Medicaid provides health coverage to approximately 30 million children from low-income families. This includes many Black, Indigenous, and Latinx children who disproportionately experience inequities in exposures to social determinants, leading to increased health-related disparities. From a social determinants of health (SDOH) lens, we suggest programmatic interventions to decrease negative health impacts of the pandemic among children enrolled in Medicaid, exploring strategies to reduce health inequities.