Trends in Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance in Mississippi

December 29th, 2010

Across the country, the cost of health insurance has risen substantially this decade. As a result, more and more employers are struggling to meet the cost of providing employer-sponsored health insurance for employees and their families. A recent report reveals that Mississippi ranks 50^th in the portion of residents under 65 covered by health insurance through their employer. Mississippi is 1 of 5 states where rates of job-based coverage declined by 10 percentage points or more this decade.¹ Almost half of Mississippi’s population under 65 no longer receives health insurance from their employer.

Overall, the percentage of Mississippi’s population under 65 receiving employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) dropped from 60.4 percent to 50.4 percent from 2000 to 2009. The decrease means that the number of Mississippians receiving job-based coverage dropped by 231,490 or 10 percentage points. Nationally, 60 percent of residents are covered by health insurance offered through their employer.

The table details rate of coverage employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) in 2000-2001 and 2008-2009 and ranks Mississippi’s coverage relative to the rest of the nation.²

Click to enlarge

Changes in Mississippi’s Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Coverage

For many Mississippians in low-wage jobs, the absence of employer-sponsored insurance makes it challenging for these adults and their families to afford quality medical care on their own. These families are also particularly vulnerable to the cost of a medical emergency. Health insurance coverage is essential for helping many low-income families weather a medical emergency and access lower-cost preventive care.

All the state’s residents, young and old, are more productive when they are healthy and can go to school and work. With almost half of Mississippi’s residents no longer receiving insurance through their work, it becomes all the more important that state policymakers carefully consider the equitable development and implementation of health care exchanges and Medicaid expansion during the next few years.

Source:

Economic Policy Institute Briefing Paper

Author:

Sarah Welker, Policy Analyst

*The survey combines samples from 2000-2001 and 2008-2009 to ensure a sufficient sample size for a more accurate analysis

¹5 states include: Arizona, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, and Mississippi.

²Rankings include Washington D.C. bringing the total geographical areas included to 51.