Population shifts, strong economy mean lower La. uninsured rates

(AP) – The number and percentage of Louisianians who lack health insurance dropped for 2007, according to a state survey that says a stronger economy and post-Hurricane Katrina population shifts are the reason.

While the post-Katrina population loss explains part of the drop, the biggest factor is the state’s strong economy and low unemployment rate, which has led to more people being covered by their employers, according to the 2007 Louisiana Health Insurance Survey. The survey was conducted by the LSU Public Policy Research Lab for the state Department of Health and Hospitals.

“While the results reveal a number of positive trends, they also raise an important question: How sustainable are declining uninsured rates if the state economy begins to slow?” wrote the authors of the survey, which polled 10,000 Louisiana households.

The survey found that the percentage of children who are uninsured fell to 5.4 percent this year, from 7.6 percent in 2005 before Hurricane Katrina.

Overall, an estimated 64,355 Louisiana children are uninsured, down from 97,403 in 2005, a change that’s mostly due to increased enrollment in the LaCHIP program for children in low-income households.

Among adults, the uninsured percentage fell from 23.4 percent in 2005 to 21.2 percent this year, which translates to 546,348 uninsured adults, a drop of 108,381 in two years.

“Adult uninsured rates will likely be tied directly to the state economy. The availability of Medicaid/LaCHIP should serve to protect children from any economic downturn,” the report said.