Survey data released by Gallup yesterday highlight the importance of health care reform. Gallup reported an increase in the number of uninsured adults nationwide from 14.8% in 2008 to 16.2% in the first six months of 2009.
According to the Gallup figures, Wisconsin is still doing considerably better than the national average, but not as much better as I would have expected. The Gallup survey, which interviewed almost 4,000 Wisconsin residents in the first half of this year, found that the percentage of uninsured adults in our state grew from 10.9% in 2008 to 12.6% in 2009. Wisconsin has the 12th lowest percent of uninsured adults in 2009, which is about the same as last year (when WI was tied for 11th lowest).
The relative ranking is somewhat surprising and disappointing because the most current Census Bureau data (for 2006 and 2007) showed Wisconsin to have the third lowest number of uninsured residents during that 2-year period. Also, the implementation of BadgerCare Plus in 2008 significantly improved coverage for children and also for low-income parents.
It’s possible that Wisconsin’s much lower rank in the 2008 and 2009 Gallup data (compared to the earlier Census ranking) is a reflection of the sharp drop in employer-sponsored insurance in our state since 2007. However, we don’t have comparable Gallup data from 2007, and it could be that the difference between the older Census data and the more current Gallup data is a function of significant variations in the surveys. In contrast to the Census Bureau survey, Gallup focuses just on adult coverage, and it asks about point-in-time coverage (whereas the Census reports on people uninsured for a full year). Also, I suspect that Gallup asks fewer questions about whether people have public coverage (which sometimes takes multiple questions to ascertain).
New Census Bureau data for 2008 will come out on September 10. I’ve been hoping it would show that despite the recession, the total number of uninsured Wisconsin residents held fairly steady in 2008 and the number of uninsured children declined. The Gallup findings make me less optimistic about the news we will get next month.
The Gallup figures make me particularly concerned about what the Census Bureau will report for Wisconsin’s rate of uninsurance in September 2010 (for 2009 coverage). But in the meantime, the Gallup data show that even in a state like Wisconsin with relatively strong safety net programs, the recession has eroded coverage and policymakers need to redouble their efforts to make insurance accessible for everyone.