DPHHS Project on Health Insurance Preliminary Findings from Montana Household Survey
By Dr. Steve Seninger, Project Director
Bureau of Business and Economic Research
The University of Montana-Missoula
406-243-2725
steve.seninger@business.umt.edu
Current Population Survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau estimate that 18 percent of Montana's population did not have health insurance for 1999-2000 and 15 percent were uninsured in 2001 (most recent year of available data). Limitations of the Census for all the years' estimates include small sample size (1500 persons), lack of geographic representation, and potential underestimation of public health program coverage.
The Bureau of Business and Economic Research's ongoing large sample survey of 4000 Montanans on health insurance coverage is developing more accurate estimates of Montana's uninsured population based on detailed urban and rural geographic representation and in-depth questions about employment, income, health conditions, and reasons for not having health insurance.
Preliminary data based on responses from 2400 persons show the following, rates of uninsured in Montana for 2003:
a) 20% of non-elderly, 0 to 64 years of age, did not have health insurance
b) 15% of Montanans of all ages did not have health insurance
c) 17% of children 18 years of age and younger were without insurance
d) 21% of Montanans 19 to 64 years of age did not have health insurance
The 20 percent-uninsured rate for non-elderly Montanans (aged 0 to 64 years of age) breaks down into:
a) 15% without health insurance all year
b) 5% who had insurance but were not insured when interviewed
An additional 3% of non-elderly Montanans are AT RISK since they did not have insurance earlier in the past year but were covered at the time of the interview.
85% of uninsured Montanans attributed lack of insurance to inadequate income after meeting basic household needs like food, clothing, and housing.
When asked whether they had medical bills they could not pay last year, 11% of those surveyed said yes and the yes answers were equally distributed between those who had health insurance and those who did not.
The BBER preliminary estimates of the uninsured rate are consistent with 2000 and 2001 Behavioral risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) estimates for Montana.
Page last update 01/16/2007
