Despite Economy, Kentuckians Still Favor Increased Health Access

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Dec 21st, 2009

Despite Economy, Kentuckians Still Favor Increased Health Access

 

The number of Kentuckians who went without health insurance at some time in the past year has grown to 38% of the state’s adult population under age 65, according to a study just released by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.  Each year the Foundation for a Health Kentucky joins with the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati to fund an extensive Kentucky Health Issues Poll, conducted this year by University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy Research.

 

With over 1600 interviewed, including for the first time families with only cell phones, the margin for error is pegged at less than 2.5 percent, according to Eric Rademacher of the Institute for Policy Research.

 

Despite the economic downturn and adverse publicity about federal reform efforts, Foundation Executive Director Susan Zepeda notes that 81% of Kentuckians still favor “providing access to affordable, quality healthcare for all Americans” – down just 10 percentage points from the prior year’s study.  Of those favoring, 64% still support increased access “even if it means raising taxes,” though this number, too, has dropped from 2008 rates.

 

Zepeda believes the continuing support for access for all may be a reflection of another study finding – the jump in Kentuckians who report they are now without health insurance, or have been at some time in the past 12 months: the survey found 37% of white and 55% of African American Kentuckians ages 18 – 64 reported going without coverage now or at some time in the past year.  Forty-seven percent of younger adults (18 – 29) and 49% of those with family incomes below the federal poverty level ($21,200 for a family of four) were currently uninsured.

 

Even insured Kentuckians reported delaying or going without needed health care in 2009, including 22% of insured adults who went without or delayed medical care and 32% who went without or delayed dental care “because of the cost” during the year.

 

Further information on these findings can be found on the Foundation’s website at www.healthy-ky,org with new findings added as data become available on the site here.

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