Michigan, longtime home of some of the best health benefits in the nation, has fallen below the national average of companies offering health insurance, a new report to be released today finds.
The number of people without insurance also grew, particularly among those ages 35 to 64 and those without a college education, the report found. Black and Hispanic people are disproportionally affected, the report said.
The number of uninsured people increased as more employers cut costly benefits or workers were laid off and lost coverage.
The “Cover Michigan” report documents “a state under stress,” where health insurance coverage has deteriorated since 2000, said Marianne Udow-Phillips, director of the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation.
The Ann Arbor company, funded by the University of Michigan and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to study health access and other issues in the state, found:
• 53.4% of workers had health insurance through their employers in 2006, compared with 55.8% nationwide. In 2000, 63.9% of Michigan workers had employer coverage, compared with 59.3% nationwide.
• 11.6% of Michiganders were uninsured in 2007, up from 10.5% in 2006. The number of uninsured children grew to 6.2% in 2007, up from 4.7% in 2006.
• African-American and Hispanic children and adults younger than 65 were overrepresented in 2006 among those without insurance. Nearly 24% of black Michiganders, who comprise 15.5% of the state’s population, were uninsured. And 6.6% of Hispanics, who are 3.9% of the state’s population, were uninsured.
• 85% of the uninsured in 2007 were from households where residents had a high school degree or less.
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