LANSING – The percentage of adults without health insurance in Michigan has increased slightly, but remains below the national average, a report issued by the Department of Community Health said. However, the report also showed that the number of uninsured children in Michigan fell and is far lower than the national average.
The report reviewed data up to 2006, the most recent year available, so any impact of job losses the state has endured this year and last were not be factored into the statistics.
Non-elderly residents in Michigan without health insurance totaled 12 percent in 2006, a slight increase from 2005, when 11.6 percent did not have insurance, but still is less than the 13.1 percent without insurance in 2002.
Nationally, 17.9 percent of adult, non-elderly people did not have health insurance. That was up from 17.2 percent in 2005.
Even at 12 percent, Michigan had one of the lower percentages of adults without insurance, at the 11th lowest. Minnesota had the lowest percentage at 9.6 percent while Texas had the highest at 26.8 percent.
But for the same year, the number of children without health insurance fell in Michigan to 4.7 percent from 5 percent in 2005. At the same time nationally, 11.7 percent of children were without health insurance in 2006, up from 10.9 percent in 2005.
Parents have access to a number of programs to provide insurance for children.
Among adults with insurance, most have the coverage through their employers. A total of 69.2 percent of adults in Michigan have insurance through their employers. Nationally, the average is 62.7 percent. The state with the highest percentage was New Hampshire 75.7 percent and the state with the lowest percentage was New Mexico at 52.5 percent.
Only 6.4 percent of adults in Michigan purchase individual insurance coverage.
The report, which is now issued annually, was issued last month.
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