Report: 213,000 In Del. Uninsured In 2007-08

News Article

Source: Delaware State News

March 26, 2009

Approximately 213,000 Delawareans - 28.3 percent of residents under age 65 - were uninsured at some point of time during 2007-2008, according to a report released Wednesday by the health consumer organization Families USA.

Of those, 151,000, or 70.9 percent of the total, were uninsured for six months or more during that time.

The situation is reflected nationwide. Approximately 86.7 million Americans - one out of three people (33.1 percent) under 65 years of age - were uninsured at some point during 2007-2008. The Families USA report is an essential supplement to commonly used Census Bureau data, such as the 45.7 million people deemed to be uninsured for the entire 2007 calendar year.

"The huge number of people without health coverage in Delaware is worse than an epidemic," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. "At this point, almost everyone in the country has had a family member, neighbor, or friend who was uninsured - and that's why meaningful health care reform can no longer be kept on the back burner."

The Families USA report reveals additional important demographic information about uninsured individuals in Delaware: • Nearly eight in ten of Delaware's uninsured, or 79.2 percent, were in working families, working full- or part-time.

• Almost half, or 49.3 percent, of those individuals and families in Delaware with incomes below twice the poverty line - $42,400 of annual income for a family of four in 2008 - went without health insurance at some point in 2007-2008.

• In addition, just over one in five, or 20.6 percent, of those individuals and families in Delaware with incomes at or above twice the poverty line - $42,400 of annual income for a family of four in 2008 - went without health insurance at some point in 20072008.

"These startling numbers clearly document the seriousness of the problem and demonstrate what happens when a problem is ignored for too long," Mr. Pollack said. "It's important however, to note that the Congress and the President has already begun to address this serious issue by providing health care coverage for four million more children.

"The action of Congress was an important down payment for health care reform, and it offers the promise that all Americans will one day have access to high quality, affordable health care."

"The staggering number of uninsured Delawareans is a grim reflection of the distressed state of our healthcare system," said Sens. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., and Sen. Edward E. "Ted" KAUFMAN . "As unemployment skyrockets each month, so too does the number of families struggling to retain adequate health coverage. The alarming number of uninsured in Delaware demonstrates why health care reform is critical to help those who lack - or stand to lose - the healthcare every American deserves."

The Families USA report was based on data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey and the Survey of Income and Program Participation as well as the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey used by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. The data were compiled with the assistance of The Lewin Group, a distinguished health policy and data consulting firm.

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