New State-Level Census Data Findings Emphasize Urgency for State to Fully Implement Health Care Reform

September 13th, 2012

Census: State Snapshot of Health Insurance in 2011
Yesterday, the United States’ Census Bureau released preliminary estimates of the number of Americans with and without health insurance for 2011. These estimates are from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides national data on a wide-range of economic issues and labor force statistics, including poverty, income, and health insurance coverage.

Snapshot of Health Insurance Coverage in 2011
In 2011, one in five Mississippians under age 65 did not have health insurance. Nationwide, 18.2 percent of non-elderly adults did not have health insurance.

The proportion of Mississippians without health insurance was higher last year than over a decade ago. In 2011, approximately 21 percent of Mississippians were uninsured, compared to 17 percent of Mississippians in 2000. This trend is the same for the U.S.; approximately 18 percent of people did not have health insurance last year, compared to 15 percent of people in 2000. See Chart 1.

Fewer Mississippians had health insurance through their employer in 2011 than in 2000. Over half (51.6 percent) of Mississippians carried health insurance through their employer in 2011, compared to 60.4 percent of Mississippians in 2000. Likewise, 58.5 percent of people in the U.S. carried health insurance through their employer last year, compared to 68.5 percent in 2000.

What can Mississippi do?
These findings reveal a candid snapshot of the high number of Mississippians who still lack health insurance, underscoring the need for continued health care reform. One of the most promising opportunities to address the high rate of uninsured residents includes Medicaid Expansion. Medicaid Expansion remains an incredibly good deal for the state of Mississippi. It will bring billions of dollars into the state and will create jobs while increasing access to health insurance. As more Mississippians gain access to health insurance, they will become healthier, miss less work and become more productive.

In the coming weeks, MEPC will be sharing data from the American Community Survey (ACS) on poverty and income.
Source: United States Census Bureau, Community Population Survey, 2012.