|
Recent Trends |
| Despite low levels of unemployment and a
strong state economy in recent years, the problem of the uninsured continues to grow worse
in Connecticut. |
 |
According to Census Bureau estimates,
Connecticut's uninsured population grew from 289,000 in 1995 to 412,000 in 1998. |
|
In 1995, the uninsured represented 10.3 percent of
Connecticut's non-elderly population (i.e., those under the age of 65). By 1998, the
comparable figure reached 14.3 percent. |
|
In 1998, Connecticut's proportion of non-elderly
uninsured residents (14.3 percent) was somewhat higher than the New England regional
average (12.6 percent) but lower that the national average (18.4 percent). |
 
|
The
Uninsured by Age Group |
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During the 1990s,Connecticut's health insurance
expansion efforts have mostly targeted uninsured children. Therefore, it may be
instructive to analyze the uninsured population by age group. |
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While the overall percentage of Connecticut's
uninsured residents has increased in recent years, the comparable figure for those under
age 18 has declined. |
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As the accompanying graph indicates, the trend lines
for uninsured children and the non-elderly uninsured follow a similar pattern for most of
the decade. In 1997, however, the two trend lines begin moving in opposite directions.
This suggests that some of the state's earlier health coverage expansion efforts may
have begun to take hold |
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While this is an encouraging
sign, caution should be used in interpreting this trend. The sample size for the source
data - the Census Bureau's March Current Population Survey - is relatively
small. As a result, differences from one year to the next are often not statistically
significant. |
|
Furthermore, the Census Bureau estimates
that in 1998 there were still 85,000 uninsured children in Connecticut - representing 10.1 percent of the population under the age of 18.
Therefore, much work remains for state policymakers in this area. |
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Conversely, this age group analysis shows that more of
Connecticut's working-age adults (ages 18 to 64) have lost health coverage in recent
years, despite solid job growth and low levels of unemployment. |
|
It appears that many of the jobs created in recent
years - especially those in the service sector or with smaller firms - do not
come with health benefits. Moreover, due to rising costs and higher coinsurance rates,
fewer lower income workers are able to accept health coverage from their employers, even
when it is offered. |
| The Need for Better Data
and Evaluation
|
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Two recent developments bear further study in the future:
|
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In 1998, the state began enrolling children in the Healthcare for
UninSured Kids and Youth program - better known as HUSKY. Uninsured children in
families at or below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are eligible for free
or subsidized coverage. |
|
In July 2000, HUSKY is scheduled to begin accepting parents of
children enrolled in the program if the family's income is at or below 185 percent of
the FPL. Coverage of parents and children is expected to help strengthen the state's
outreach efforts to uninsured families. |
|
As these changes occur and more resources are devoted to this vital
program, it will be more important than ever to collect better data and evaluate the
effectiveness of the state's efforts in this area. |
