About 20 percent of Florida's workers are without health insurance, compared to about
By ALISA ULFERTS
Published November 18, 2004
17 percent in 1999.
TALLAHASSEE - The percentage of working people without health insurance in Florida increased over the past five years, mostly because they couldn't afford rising premiums, a new state study has found.
Nearly 20 percent of the state's working age population is without health insurance, compared to about 17 percent five years ago, according to a study by the state Agency for Health Care Administration.
Of those, more than half went without insurance for a year or more, and 63 percent blamed unaffordable premiums.
The study was released Nov. 3 but got no attention the day after the general election.
State officials point to one bright spot: The number of low-income Floridians with insurance increased, primarily because of state-subsidized programs like Healthy Kids.
The study was intended to provide lawmakers with information as they move to overhaul Medicaid, the state-federal insurance program for the poor, and search for ways to make health insurance more affordable.
"While rising uninsurance rates come as little surprise, the data in this study will help direct our attention to Floridians who need the most help," said Alan Levine, secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration.
That focus is on those earning between $15,000 and $45,000, according to the study. Floridians at the high and low end of the income spectrum saw few changes since 1999.
State officials conducted the study by calling more than 17,000 households, representing more than 40,000 state residents. People older than 65 were excluded because they generally have access to Medicare, the federal health insurance program for seniors and the disabled.
Miami-Dade County has the highest rate of uninsured in the state, 28.7 percent. As in 1999, Hispanics in Florida have the hardest time getting health insurance. Those born outside the United States are uninsured at nearly double the rate of other Floridians.
Newly elected Sen. Nan Rich, who represents parts of Miami-Dade County, said she isn't surprised to hear about her district.
"Miami is one of the poorest cities and you have a high level of immigrant families and people in the lower socioeconomic bracket," said Rich, D-Weston. While a member of the House, Rich proposed without success legislation that would expand state-sponsored health insurance programs for children to their parents.
"If you bring those families in, it would lower those numbers," Rich said.
In comparison, 19 percent of Pinellas County residents and 14 percent of Hillsborough residents are uninsured.
The uninsured numbers won't decline until state lawmakers and Congress rein in pharmaceutical costs, said state Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Treasure Island.
"Most people want the brand-name drug, not the generic, and unfortunately we don't have cost controls that other countries do," Jones said.
"It also doesn't make sense that you can buy drugs cheaper over the internet than you can at Walgreens or Eckerd," Jones said.
The size of the employer makes a big difference in whether a Floridian has health insurance, the study found. About 35 percent of people working for a small business - defined as fewer than 10 employees - have no health insurance. That number drops to 5.2 percent for people working at companies with more than 100 employees.
"It's the problem of the working poor as well as working families that have had double-digit increases in their premiums because businesses are passing that on to their employees. We've done a bit of that with state employees," said Gov. Jeb Bush.
Bush said providing health savings accounts, which allow people to save money tax free to pay for health care, and limiting doctors from ordering costly tests and procedures because they fear being sued could help.
But the problem didn't develop overnight, and Bush said it will take time to solve.
"This needs to be an ongoing effort. It can't be just one thing," Bush said.
