COLUMBUS, Ohio — The number of uninsured children and seniors in Ohio has dropped in the last few years, but the number of working adults without health insurance has increased — causing the state’s overall uninsured population to climb by about 100,000, according to the 2008 Ohio Family Health Survey (pdf) released today.
The survey results, which will be released formally at noon, credits a decline in job-based health insurance and increased unemployment for the increase in uninsured adults.
The survey estimated about 1.2 million Ohioans were uninsured last year. The previous survey, done in 2004, estimated about 1.1 million residents in the state were uninsured.
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Considering the economic downturn and record-high unemployment in the state, the number of uninsured is likely much higher. The study was completed in September 2008.
According to the report, 4 percent of children — about 111,000 — are uninsured, down from 5.4 percent in 2004. About 17 percent of the working-age adults — about 1.22 million — are uninsured, up from 15 percent of that population in 2004.
Less than one percent of seniors — about 11,000 — reported having no coverage. However, many seniors identified gaps in insurance coverage and challenges in paying medical bills.
The report provided a series of spreadsheets and other forms that break down the data from the latest report, which can be reviewed below:
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- Summary tables (xls): Regional, age and other breaks down of poverty, health insurance utilization, employer coverage and other factors.
- County-by-county breakdown (xls): A breakdown by county in Ohio of the uninsured including seniors, working adults and children.
- Survey instrument (pdf): Details on how the survey was conducted.
- Survey presentation (pdf): A slide-show style presentation of the data created in the survey.