Health Insurance Coverage in Minnesota: Results from the 2015 Minnesota Health Access Survey
February 2016:
This issue brief summarizes a set of findings from the 2015 Minnesota Health Access Survey (MNHA). The MNHA is a biennial state population telephone survey, conducted in partnership between the Health Economics Program at the Minnesota Department of Health and the State Health Access Data Assistance Center at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. It covers trends in uninsurance, changes in sources of health insurance coverage and characteristics of the remaining uninsured in Minnesota. Drawing on responses from 11,178 Minnesotans who participated in the survey, this issue brief aims to broaden understanding about gains in coverage and those who remain uninsured.
Lots to Celebrate: Minnesota Sees Lowest Uninsured Rate Ever at 4.3%
May 12, 2017:
New estimates from the Minnesota Health Access Survey reveal a significant reduction in rates of uninsured for Minnesota from 8.2% in 2013 to 4.3% in 2015 (Figure 1). Some 200,000+ uninsured now have coverage thanks in part to the access provisions included in the Affordable Care Act – the expansion of our Medical Assistance program, our state-based marketplace, MNsure, and the continuation of our successful MinnesotaCare program. While Minnesota has always been in the top tier of states with high levels of health insurance coverage – these new estimates solidify our role as a leader in coverage, access and commitment to improving health.
Perhaps the most rewarding news is the significant reduction in the number of Minnesotans that have been without any health insurance coverage for a significant period of time – the long-term uninsured from 6.1% to 2.1%. Also significant is that employer-based group coverage has remained stable since 2013. Employer-based coverage is the most common source of health insurance coverage in Minnesota, providing coverage for 56% of all Minnesotans.
Due in part to an aging population and the ACA expansion of the Medicaid program, there are more Minnesotans on public programs (such as Medicaid and Medicare) – with an increase from 31.1% to 33.6% between 2013 and 2015, still less than the national average of 36.5%. Although uninsurance rates dropped for all groups, the analysis also finds persistent disparities in access to health insurance coverage for Latino, American Indian and Black Minnesotans (Figure 4).
But we have lots to celebrate – with new pathways to coverage provided in the ACA and new federal funding for programs such as MinnesotaCare that were once supported with general fund dollars only – Minnesota has taken advantage of these new opportunities to provide coverage, access and financial stability to thousands of Minnesotans.
--Lynn Blewett SHADAC Director and Principal Investigator
Survey Information: The Minnesota Health Access Survey is conducted every two years through a collaboration between the Minnesota Department of Health's Health Economics Program and the University of Minnesota’s State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC). The survey has been conducted seven times since 2001 and provides information on access to coverage, changes in the distribution of the type of health insurance coverage over time, characteristics of the uninsured, and access to care. The estimates are based on over 11,000 completed telephone interviews with Minnesotans and included both and landline and cell phones (including pre-paid cell phones).
State Level Trends in Children's Health Insurance Coverage, 2010-2014
This in-depth report examines data from the American Community Survey (ACS) to compare health insurance coverage from 2013 to 2014 and to detail five-year coverage trends (2010 to 2014) for children nationwide and at the state level for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Download the full report.
View summary information for the United States as a whole.
Click on the map below to view state level summary information. Scroll down to see key findings from the report.
State Level Summary Information, 2010-2014
KEY FINDINGS
UNINSURANCE OVERALL
Uninsurance among children (aged 0-18) was down nationwide from 7.5 percent in 2013 to 6.3 percent in 2014. This decrease was driven by a concurrent increase in public coverage.
Twenty-three states experienced statistically significant declines in children’s uninsurance between 2013 and 2014, and no state saw a significant increase. Despite coverage gains, close to five million children remained uninsured in 2014, and almost half (2.4 million) reside in just six states: Texas (880,000), California (550,000), Florida (410,000), Georgia (210,000), Arizona (180,000), and New York (160,000).
UNINSURANCE BY INCOME
Children’s uninsurance decreased across income categories between 2013 and 2014, with the largest percentage point drop occurring among low-income children. Coverage gains were driven by increased public coverage for low- and middle-income children and by a small increase in private coverage for high-income children.
UNINSURANCE BY RACE/ETHNICITY
Uninsurance decreased for children across all racial/ethnic populations between 2013 and 2014. The drop was largest for Hispanic children (-1.9pp), driven by increases in private coverage. Decreases in uninsurance among non-white children (-1.5pp) and white children (-0.8pp) were driven by increased public coverage. Despite coverage gains, the percentage of children lacking coverage remained highest among Hispanic children (10.3%) in 2014, followed by non-white children (5.5%) and white children (4.8%).
UNINSURANCE BY DISABILITY STATUS
Uninsurance decreased among children with disabilities from 2013 to 2014. Although children with disabilities have relatively high rates of public coverage, their recent coverage gains were driven by an increase in private coverage.
New SHADAC Report Examines National & State Trends in Kids Coverage
February 11, 2016:
SHADAC released its 2016 annual report on children's health insurance coverage today. The report uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) to compare coverage between 2013 and 2014 and examine five-year coverage trends (2010-2014) both nationwide and at the state level for all 50 states and DC. Full implementation of the ACA’s coverage provisions took place in 2014, making the 2014 ACS data the first 50-state view of kids coverage under full implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
There are Multiple Encouraging Trends in Coverage
There are a number of encouraging trends that emerge from the data:
Overall, uninsurance among children decreased from 7.5% to 6.3% between 2013 and 2014, the largest year-over-year decrease in uninsurance at the national level since the ACS added the health insurance question in 2008.
Between 2013 and 2014, 23 states saw a significant decrease in children’s uninsurance and no state saw a significant increase. Nevada had the highest percentage point drop in state-level uninsured rate, while California saw the largest decline in the number of uninsured children.
Children’s uninsurance decreased across all income categories between 2013 and 2014, and the largest percentage point drop was among low-income children. This drop was driven by an increase in the public coverage rate and a flat private coverage rate for this group.
From 2010 to 2014, children’s uninsurance dropped across Hispanic, Non-white, and White racial/ethnic populations. The largest single-year percentage-point drop for all three subgroups came between 2013 and 2014.
But...5 Million Children Remain Uninsured
Despite large overall declines in uninsurance among children, about 5 million children still remain uninsured in 2014. Almost half of these children reside in only six states: Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and New York. Although Hispanic children had the largest percentage point decrease among racial/ethnic populations, uninsurance for this group remains nearly double that of both Non-white and White children.
The pronounced drop in uninsurance at the national level between 2013 and 2014 is likely attributable to the ACA as its historic coverage provisions were implemented in 2014. However, the continued variation of uninsurance rates across subgroups and within and across states indicated that opportunities to expand coverage remain.
More Information
The full report, along with state-level summary tables and state-specific fact sheet two pagers, is available here.