June 21, 2010

Cover Michigan

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In The Media

Detroit Free Press 06/23/2010

Crain's Detroit Business 06/21/2010

Michigan Radio 06/21/2010

WHTC 1450 AM, Holland 06/21/2010

Detroit News 06/20/2010

Detroit Free Press 06/20/2010

The State of Health Care Coverage in Michigan

Cover Michigan 2010 is CHRT's annual report of health care coverage in the U.S. and Michigan, including data on the uninsured, publicly and privately insured, premiums and cost-sharing, the health care safety net and, new for this year, health reform (also available separately in the CHRT Issue Brief, Impact of Health Reform on Coverage in Michigan).

Cover Michigan 2010 presents the most recent comparative data available for the U.S. and Michigan: 2008 data for the U.S. and 2007/2008 two-year pooled data for Michigan. Michigan data are pooled to ensure an adequate sample size; some demographic data are reported as three-year pooled averages. Where possible, more recent data are included.

The Cover Michigan 2010 report and the Cover Michigan Survey 2010 (released in March 2010) both reveal continued upward trends in areas of concern from our 2009 report: more people lacking insurance, more employers dropping coverage, higher costs for those who have insurance, and a growing strain on the health care safety net.

Important trends noted in Cover Michigan 2010 include:

• The numbers of uninsured and publicly insured in our state have been growing. More than 3.8 million Michigan citizens were either uninsured or covered by a public program (Medicare, Medicaid, military)—almost 39 percent of the state’s population;
• Despite the growth in public coverage, many of the poor did not have coverage at all: 37 percent of those with incomes below the poverty line did not have coverage in 2007/2008;
• While Michigan still has a higher percentage of those with private coverage than most states (ranking ninth highest), businesses in Michigan have been dropping coverage at a faster rate than the U.S. overall and the percent of Michigan’s population with private coverage was 4.5 percent lower in 2007/2008 than it was in 2003/2004;
• Average Michigan family premiums continue to be less than the U.S. average, at $11,321 compared to $12,298—making Michigan the ninth lowest state in average family premiums in 2008;
• Reflecting the increase in the number of uninsured in the state and the increase in copayments and deductibles faced by those with insurance, uncompensated care in hospitals increased in 2008 to $2 billion, a 94 percent increase since 2004;
• “Safety net” providers in Michigan are critically important for many of those most in need, but these providers are challenged to meet demand for their services . Also, Michigan has fewer such providers than many other states: Michigan ranked 31st in the nation for the number of federally qualified health center sites per 10,000 uninsured.

We predict these 2008 trends will continue in the 2009 data. If anything, given the dramatic economic events of 2009, they will likely reflect even steeper changes in the same directions. There is no question the trends evident in this report depict both the reasons health reform was a major national policy issue in 2009 and some of the challenges it will face.

Related Publications

June 20, 2011

Cover Michigan Survey 2011

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In 2009, CHRT commissioned the first Cover Michigan Survey, to gain insight into the issue of health care access in Michigan. The report was released in March 2010. One of the most important conclusions of the Cover Michigan Survey was this: having health coverage is not synonymous with having access to health care. Many respondents—even those with health coverage—reported significant barriers to obtaining affordable care. This report presents the findings of the Cover Michigan Survey conducted in 2010, which was designed to delve deeper into key questions raised by the previous report

June 21, 2010

Impact of Health Reform on Coverage in Michigan

CHRT Issue Brief June 2010

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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, or the Act) will affect the picture of coverage in Michigan in many different ways. In this issue brief (drawn from the final chapter of CHRT's Cover Michigan 2010 report), we try to give a picture of the impact of the PPACA, had it been fully implemented and in effect in 2007/2008 (the period for which we have the most recent, comprehensive data on health coverage in the state).

March 8, 2010

Cover Michigan Survey 2010

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In January of 2009, CHRT released the first edition of Cover Michigan, a report designed to provide a comprehensive picture of health care coverage in the U.S. and Michigan. In August 2009, to better understand the impact of coverage trends on the people behind the statistics, CHRT commissioned a survey of 1,022 Michigan adults about their sources of coverage, perceived health status, ability to pay for insurance and care, and decisions about seeking—or not seeking—needed health care services.

January 26, 2009

Cover Michigan 2009

The State of Health Care Coverage in Michigan

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The 2009 edition of the complete Cover Michigan report.