February 9, 2010: SHARE grantee Anna Sommers, of The Hilltop Institute (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), has released a new issue brief titled, "Small Business Participation in the New Mexico State Coverage Insurance Program: Evaluation Results."
State Coverage Insurance (SCI) is a public/private partnership that provides access to subsidized health insurance for low-income uninsured adults (19 to 64 years old), who can sign up for SCI coverage either independently or with sponsorship from a small employer (50 or fewer employees).
SCI was implemented in 2005 and had 37,918 individual enrollees as of June 2009. While this represents strong take-up, employer sponsorship remains low, particularly for very small businesses (i.e., those with less than five employees) and businesses in urban counties. Increasing employer participation in SCI is critical, as employer contributions to the program provide a private revenue source that brings down the cost for the state.
Both participating employers and those who inquired about the program but chose not to participate cite cost and administrative concerns. Dr. Sommers' SHARE-sponsored research is the first formal evaluation of SCI and was conducted in partnership with the New Mexico Human Services Department