Uninsured in Pa. over one million
Most are employed. Their ranks rise with jobless rate.
HARRISBURG - More than one million Pennsylvanians - the majority of them employed adults - lack health insurance, according to a state survey released yesterday.
The results, released by the Insurance Department, reflect a less than 1 percent increase over estimates reported in 2004. Officials cautioned that the number of uninsured residents is likely to be even higher given the deteriorating employment situation.
"We have a real crisis in terms of health care for the adult population, and it's probably gotten worse since the survey," Joel Ario, the insurance commissioner, said at a news conference in the Capitol.
Of those without coverage, 880,000 were adults, a 17 percent increase over 2004, and 140,000 were children, a 5 percent increase. Overall, the percentage of residents who were uninsured was 8.2 percent, compared with 15.3 percent nationally, according to the most recent census data.
State officials say that as more Pennsylvania workers lose their jobs, the number seeking health insurance will rise. By June, officials said, as many as 282,000 people will be on the waiting list for the state's adult health insurance program, more than double the current number.
The survey found that increases in the uninsured cut across age, race and geographical lines, but that lower-income families and minorities were more likely to be uninsured, Ario said.
It also found that children were more likely than adults to have insurance, because of the wider reach of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and that individuals in the 19-to-44 age bracket were the most likely to be uninsured.
The survey also revealed that 62 percent of uninsured adults were employed, but either had no access to insurance through work or could not afford the coverage offered.
Others were between jobs. "These numbers would be worse if not for public programs, but some also fall through the cracks of public programs," Ario said.
In Southeastern Pennsylvania, Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware Counties saw increases in the numbers of uninsured, while the number dropped in Chester County and Philadelphia.
The survey did not analyze why rates shifted in various counties, but some experts suggest it may be connected to higher numbers of people enrolled in the medical assistance program for low-income residents.
Gov. Rendell has made the expansion of state health insurance benefits a priority over the last two years, offering several proposals to cover additional individuals. The proposals have been rejected by Senate Republicans, who control the higher chamber, as too costly.
Advocates for the uninsured say the worsening economy has increased the pressure for action.
"For each one percent point increase in the unemployment, an estimated 44,000 additional Pennsylvanians lose coverage," said Berry Friesen, public affairs manager of the PA Health Access Network.
Despite having a significantly smaller overall population, New Jersey has more residents who lack health insurance. According to state data, 1.4 million residents, or 16 percent of the population, have no health insurance.
Insurance experts say the likely reason for the disparity between the neighboring states is that more Pennsylvania residents are covered under various public programs. Pennsylvania also has high union membership and those workers generally have health benefits.
The survey, conducted by Market Decisions L.L.C. of Portland, Maine, gathered information on 50,000 residents across the state at a cost of $740,000. It was conducted between September 2007 and May 2008, and has a margin of error of 0.7 percent.
Advocates for the uninsured point to the increase as a reason for the state to tap federal sources and find additional state funding to expand the adult health insurance program, known as Adult Basic.
"The latest data highlight the urgent need for lawmakers to act," said Friesen.
Friesen also called on the state legislature to seek federal assistance that is available for preventive care and that would help drive down health care costs.
Senate Republicans say they want to tailor a health plan that would focus on funding community clinics, low-cost prescription drugs, and physician loan forgiveness.
"Increasing access to quality health care for the uninsured was a priority for our caucus last session, and it is again this session," said Erik Arneson, the spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R., Delaware). "These new numbers reinforce that need, although I don't think they will change anyone's view on the best way to do it."