Who has health coverage ?

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

Interesting survey by Congressional District shows % covered by Private, Public and no coverage


<snip>
New data on health insurance coverage from the American Community Survey show extensive variation in
rates of private and public coverage and uninsurance across congressional districts in the United States. This survey reveals those districts that face the greatest deficiencies in private coverage and pinpoints the districts where public coverage closes some of the gap left by low rates of private coverage.

The picture that emerges is that
(1) rates of private coverage are lowest in districts that have higher poverty rates, which tend to be concentrated in the South and West;
(2) the needs in these high-poverty districts have led many to have above average rates of public coverage; and
(3) despite these higher rates of public coverage, uninsurance remains most serious in districts with low rates of private coverage.

This analysis identifies the districts in which residents would have the most to gain from health reforms that are designed to increase health insurance coverage toward a higher and more uniform national standard. <snip>


http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411967_variation_in_insurance.pdf

[One_Life_To_Give]

1. Those with most to gain are Red States

Curiously enough the staes/districts with the higest rates of Private Insurance Coverage are firmly Blue/Democratic.

[Ms. Toad]

2. Just looking at the charts, without reading the article

I noticed that the states with highest private coverage are farming states with more family farms than agribusiness - which have a much higher proportion of self-employed workers.

As a child of a parents participating in a family farm (a corporation consisting of our family and my father's cousin's family), that family owned business was permitted to buy small group insurance which is not available to individuals - and cost is deductible as a business expense. That makes the revenue that covers the cost of the insurance tax-free income.

For employed workers who do not have insurance through their employers, insurance often isn't available - and if it is, it must be paid for with after tax dollars.

[valerief]

3. What does coverage mean? Does it mean you have a policy to which you pay premiums?

Or does it mean when you submit a claim, it won't be denied?