The number of uninsured Utahns continues to grow, though at a slower pace - except among children. According to estimates recently released by the Utah Department of Health, 306,500 Utahns didn't have insurance in 2006. The number of uninsured grew about 5 percent over the previous year, compared with double-digit increases in the past several years.

But children continue to suffer when it comes to adequate coverage.

There were 89,500 children up to age 18 without insurance in 2006. That's a 26 percent increase in one year and a 63 percent jump from 2001.

Last week, a Health Department press release incorrectly put the increase among children at 4.7 percent.

"It's worrisome because children are one of the most vulnerable populations," said Norm Thurston, a health economist with the Utah Department of Health and member of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s Initiative on Health Insurance for the Uninsured.

"The fact we're seeing an increase of children going without health insurance is problematic to us," he said.

He attributes the jump to Utah's growing population, along with the skyrocketing cost of health insurance, which forces companies to cut back on coverage or pass on price increases to employees who can't afford it.

According to the Utah Health Policy Project, premiums for job-based family health insurance grew 66 percent over the past decade, faster than the national average.

Most of Utah's uninsured children could qualify for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a federally funded state health insurance program.

CHIP enrollment in Utah was halted in September because of a lack of funds. Enrollment will resume July 2, thanks to a $4 million boost from the Legislature earlier this year. That will add about 12,000 children to the insurance rolls.

Judi Hilman, executive director of the Utah Health Policy Project, said the state needs to do a better job of marketing CHIP and Medicaid.

"There's just no reason for a child to be uninsured, even for five minutes," she said, adding that the spike in the number of uninsured children "just underscores the problem that we're not doing anything about uninsured kids."

The state should also consider expanding who qualifies for CHIP, Hilman said.

Today, qualifying families must make 200 percent of the federal poverty level or less, meaning a family of four couldn't make more than $41,300 a year. Hilman suggests raising the threshold to 300 percent.

The Utah Health Policy Project is also advocating that Congress adequately fund CHIP and Medicaid - at $50 billion to $60 billion over the next five years - as it debates re-authorization of CHIP this year.

hmay@sltrib.com