Census numbers show 13% uninsured in city :JAMES CRAVEN
By: Health Insurance
Submitted: 2009-09-25 15:25:25 | Word Count: 589
New U.S. Census data released Tuesday laid out the numbers of people with health insurance in 2008 and they didn’t look good locally.
The census looked at cities with populations over 65,000, allowing New Britain to gain the dubious distinction of being sixth in the state for the most number of persons without health insurance — 13.1 percent of residents.
[ advertisement ]
Mayor Timothy Stewart said he was thankful for programs such as SustiNet and HUSKY, which may have stemmed the number from being even higher.
“This is an important state and federal issue,” Stewart said. “It’s a national problem and needs a national solution.”
*
In Connecticut, an estimated 9 percent, or 310,000 were found to have no health insurance. The city of Bridgeport and Stamford tied for having the highest number of uninsured persons with one out of five, or 20 percent uninsured. Following were Danbury and Harford with 19.7 percent and 14.9 percent, respectively, of their populations not having access to health insurance.
Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, a potential candidate for governor in 2010 called the numbers of uninsured alarming.
“That such a high percentage of people who are minorities don’t have health care is shameful, and the fact that so many of them are children is a disgrace,” Malloy said.
Although Stamford was seven percentage points ahead of New Britain for all uninsured persons, both had 9.2 percent of children under 18 listed as being uninsured.
Discovery Collaborative, a local group working to improve early learning in the city, had not seen the census numbers when contacted, but allowed the economy and the number of unemployed were likely factors in the high numbers.
“It’s troubling as far as our ability to have healthy kids who come to school healthy and prepared to learn,” he said. “Most people still get their insurance through their employers and when they lose their jobs they lose their insurance.”
The census found in 2008, 15.1 percent, or more than 45 million Americans, were uninsured at the time of the survey. Given that the data was collected in 2007-2008, some officials said they expect the actual numbers to be far worse because the impact of the recession was not at its peak.
“Uninsured rates as high as 20 percent in some Connecticut towns speak to the crisis in our health care system,” said Jim Horan, executive director of the Connecticut Association for Human Services.
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-5th District, said the census shows why a national health care system is important.
“The numbers don’t lie — we have an unacceptably high number of uninsured adults and children here in New Britain,” Murphy said. “This data only reinforces my desire to pass a health care bill that helps people in New Britain and across Connecticut.”
The census data was coincidentally released on a national day of protest, known as “Big Insurance: Sick of it,” with scheduled demonstrations around the country.
Author Resource:-
Quoting and Saving on your health insurance has never been easier...EasyToInsureME
EasyToInsureME offers clients the easiest way to buy individual health insurance. Free services include instant online health insurance quotes, custom proposals for each client, free phone consultations, and 10-minute application by phone. Nobody does what we do for our clients!
