Read the whole Reuters article here
Special Report: Millions of American children missing early lead tests
By Joshua Schneyer and M.B. Pell
"Blood lead tests are mandated for all children in 11 U.S. states and Washington, DC. In addition, Medicaid requires that the one-third of all U.S. children enrolled in the program, which provides health care for low-income and disabled people, be tested at ages one and two. Some other states mandate tests for all children in areas with exposure risks, such as housing with lead paint or lead-tainted soil.
Yet, in a review of data in nearly a dozen U.S. states, Reuters found just 41 percent of Medicaid-enrolled one- and two-year-olds had been tested as required. And in some states requiring tests, more than half the children were missing a test.
The full scope of under-testing is impossible to gauge: Data tracking testing rates and results from the CDC, Medicaid and many state health agencies is incomplete and unreliable. The CDC said its own tracking of lead poisoning rates isn’t conclusive, citing insufficient data from states and changes in testing patterns that make comparisons over time challenging."