America's Health Rankings, United Health Foundation Logo

Children with Special Health Care Needs
Children with Special Health Care Needs in United States
United States

Explore national- and state-level data for hundreds of health, environmental and socioeconomic measures, including background information about each measure. Use features on this page to find measures; view subpopulations, trends and rankings; and download and share content.

How to use this page

United States Value:

19.5%

Percentage of children ages 0-17 with special health care needs (2-year estimate)

Children with Special Health Care Needs in depth:

Children with Special Health Care Needs by State

Percentage of children ages 0-17 with special health care needs (2-year estimate)




Children with Special Health Care Needs Trends

Percentage of children ages 0-17 with special health care needs (2-year estimate)

Trend: Children with Special Health Care Needs in United States, 2022 Health Of Women And Children Report

Percentage of children ages 0-17 with special health care needs (2-year estimate)

United States
Source:

 National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)

View All Populations

Children with Special Health Care Needs

Trend: Children with Special Health Care Needs in United States, 2022 Health Of Women And Children Report

Percentage of children ages 0-17 with special health care needs (2-year estimate)

United States
Source:

 National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)

About Children with Special Health Care Needs

US Value: 19.5%

Top State(s): Hawaii: 13.2%

Bottom State(s): New Hampshire: 24.2%

Definition: Percentage of children ages 0-17 with special health care needs (2-year estimate)

Data Source and Years: National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), 2020-2021

Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2023.

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) have or are at risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions and require more health services than most children. Children with special health care needs may also

  • Require complex and long-term health services.
  • Spend more on health care.
  • Experience disparities in accessing care. 

Roughly 19.4% of children in the United States — 14.1 million children — have special health care needs. In 2020, only 62.5% had adequate and continuous health insurance, including coverage for providers and services at a reasonable cost. About 21.4% of children with special health care needs missed seven or more days of school in 2018 due to illness or injury, compared with 6.4% of non-CSHCN. Only 42.2% of CSHCN receive care in a medical home.

Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs in Healthy People 2020: A Consumer Perspective. Genetic Alliance Monographs and Guides. Washington, D.C.: Genetic Alliance, 2013. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK132165/.

McPherson, Merle, Polly Arango, Harriette Fox, Cassie Lauver, Margaret McManus, Paul W. Newacheck, James M. Perrin, Jack P. Shonkoff, and Bonnie Strickland. “A New Definition of Children With Special Health Care Needs.” Pediatrics 102, no. 1 (July 1, 1998): 137–39. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.102.1.137.

Current Reports

America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.

We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.