MHA Press Room

GAO: Most children have same health insurance status as their parents

Children are more likely to be uninsured if their parents are uninsured, according to a report issued Feb. 4 by the Government Accountability Office. The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 asked GAO to assess how a parent's health insurance status is associated with their child's insurance status and use of services, among other questions.

Based on 2005-2007 data from the national Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the study found 84% of children have the same health insurance status as their parents. Health coverage expansions required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will prompt states to change parental coverage in Medicaid- and CHIP-funded programs, and could result in newly eligible parents enrolling their children in Medicaid, the report notes.

Similar expansions of parental coverage through the ACA's state-based insurance exchanges also could increase the number of insured children, GAO said.

Report: 99% of insurance markets highly concentrated

The vast majority of U.S. commercial health insurance markets are dominated by one or two insurers, according to the 2010 edition of Competition in Health Insurance, released Feb. 1 by the American Medical Association. According to the analysis, 99% of health insurance markets in the U.S. are “highly concentrated,” based on the 1997 U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Horizontal Merger Guidelines.

In 48% of metropolitan statistical areas, the study found, at least one insurer had a market share of 50% or more. “To help restore a competitive balance to health insurance markets, the AMA urges the federal and state agencies to prohibit harmful insurance company mergers and adopt policies that would level the playing field between small physician practices and large insurers,” said AMA President Cecil Wilson, M.D.

The American Hospital Association also has requested stepped up enforcement against mergers and other anticompetitive conduct of the health insurance industry.

House panel releases insurance findings

According to memos released Oct. 12 by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Aetna, Humana, UnitedHealth Group and WellPoint denied health coverage because of pre-existing conditions to more than 600,000 people in the individual market between 2007 and 2009. The committee began investigating the extent of coverage denials and exclusions in the individual health insurance market in March.

In a letter Oct. 13 to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said several states have laws preventing discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions and encouraged other states to take similar action. Beginning in 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will require insurers to accept every employer and individual applying for coverage.

Survey: Public reports 20% increase in non-group health premiums

People who buy their own health insurance report that their insurers most recently requested premium increases averaging 20%, according to a survey released June 21 by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Annual premiums for non-group coverage averaged $3,606 for single coverage, and $7,102 for family coverage.

The annual deductible averaged $2,498 for single coverage, and $2,959/person or $5,149/family for family coverage. "With people in the individual market being hit with average increases of 20%, the survey shows that the steep increases we have been reading about over the last several months are not just extreme cases," said KFF President and CEO Drew Altman.

About 14 million people under age 65 have health coverage through the non-group market.

More Employers Unhappy with Health Insurers, Says PWC Study

U.S. employers are less satisfied with health insurers, especially against the backdrop of tough economic times, according to a new PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute study. Employers are looking to their health plan providers for information technology and other strategies to help reduce waste in healthcare spending and better engage employees in managing their health, according to the study.

Census releases insurance coverage by state

Texas had the highest percentage of uninsured residents last year while Massachusetts had the lowest, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

More than 24% of Texans were uninsured in 2008, compared with just 4.1% in Massachusetts, according to the American Community Survey Data. Massachusetts, which enacted universal health coverage in 2006, also had the lowest percentage of uninsured children, at 2.1%. Nevada had the most uninsured children, with 20.2% of kids uninsured, the survey found.

The survey was based on detailed interviews with 3 million households nationwide in areas with populations of 65,000 or more on 40 topics, including education, marital status and family income. Health insurance was a new topic added to the survey in 2008.

Health Plan Premiums Vary Widely by State

A new set of tables from the federal government shows a wide state-by-state variation in what Americans paid in premiums for employer based health coverage in 2008. Not only does the total amount of premium cost vary, but also the share paid by the employer versus the share paid by the employee.

Older Women Have More Difficulty Obtaining Health Insurance

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a new report on health insurance reforms related to older women (ages 55 to 64) and senior women (ages 65 and older). The report's message: The current health insurance market "does not work for older women."

AHRQ: Family premium cost average worker $3,400

Workers enrolled in family health coverage through their employer contributed an average of $3,394 toward the cost of their premiums last year, according to a new report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Florida workers contributed the most for family coverage ($4,412) while Indiana workers contributed the least ($2,472).

Almost 20 million of the 62.5 million workers enrolled in employer-based insurance in 2008 had family coverage. The data are from the insurance component of the agency’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Additional MEPS summary data on employer-based health insurance can be found online.

CDC: 17% of privately insured have high-deductible health plan

An estimated 17% of Americans under age 65 with private health insurance had a high-deductible health plan in 2007, according to a report released March 4 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A high-deductible health plan was defined as an individual plan with an annual deductible of $1,100 or more or a family plan with a deductible of $2,200 or more.

An estimated 5% of privately insured Americans under age 65 had a consumer-directed health plan in 2007, defined as a high-deductible plan with an account to pay for medical expenses. Roughly 15% of privately insured adults under 65 had a flexible spending account for medical expenses.

Employed adults and those with employer-sponsored health insurance were less likely than other persons to have a high-deductible plan. Highly educated and affluent persons were more likely than others to have a consumer-directed health plan.

The estimates are from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey.