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Friday, October 10, 2008 10:41 AM Health care coverage in state dropping, report says By Janet Conner-Knox | Times Staff Writer Nearly half of all North Carolina children are not covered by health insurance. And more children statewide are expected to become uninsured in this economic downturn. That bleak assessment was part of a national report delivered Thursday afternoon by the non-profit group, Economic Policy Institute, which is based in Washington, D.C. The report compared the number of people in each state not having health insurance eight years ago to now. The conclusion: North Carolina workers are losing employer-based health insurance at a greater rate than all but one other U.S. state. The report also said North Carolina children are losing health insurance coverage faster than any other state's kids. According to the report, 5.4 percent fewer people in North Carolina were insured in 2007 than 2001. Only South Carolina saw employer-based health coverage plummet at a greater rate. Adam Searing, director of N.C. Access Coalition in Raleigh, said the reason so many people don't have health insurance in North Carolina is the cost of having health insurance in the state has doubled in the past 10 years. "Business owners can't afford to pay health insurance premiums, and employees can't afford to pay the costs either," he said. "So the children are not covered. In fact, whole families are not covered. And one health incident in an uninsured household could bring everything to disaster." No specific numbers are available for how many Wilson children are without health insurance. But the number of families asking for help covering their children for health care has increased, according to the Wilson County Department of Social Services. "We are taking an average of 629 applications per month," said Carolyn McDuffie, family and children health insurance team leader. " This is an increase from June 2007 through June 2008 when we averaged 611 applications per month." McDuffie said she expects to see the increase in families asking for help continue as the price for utilities, food and other expenses increase. McDuffie said that as expenses increase for survival, things like health insurance premiums are just not affordable in families' budgets. "Wilson County children not having insurance is alarming to us because statistics show that it is critical for children to have quality health care," said McDuffie. "It helps them in their growth and development, helps them with better attendance in school, as they are sick less, and helps parents to stay employed due to missing fewer days from work." Searing said some families who are eligible for help, are not asking for help. He said a family of four whose household income is under $42,000 can get help by going to social services and can have total health coverage with Health Choice, a state funded program. But Searing said it is easy for a family not to qualify for the program. "When you have two people in a household working, it is not hard to make over $42,000," he said. "Many families who need help make more money than is allowed for the Health Choice program, and they're afraid for anyone to get sick. That causes more unwanted stress." Searing's organization along with another North Carolina non-profit, Action for Children, are pushing legislators to increase the income limit for families, which will make more families eligible for health insurance coverage. "It is not impossible for the state to make the state health insurance program more affordable for more North Carolina families," he said. The Wilson County Department of Social Services encourages families to apply for Health Choice and offers families assistance filling out the application. An application can be found at www.wilsoncountydss.org. Questions, call 206-4040. janet@wilsontimes.com | 265-7847 |
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