| Health coverage for the family helps to assist those | | | | At the same time, the coverage that is available is too |
| families in obtaining more affordable healthcare | | | | expensive for most parents to afford. |
| services, says a report by the Henry J. Kaiser Family | | | | Although many children are in families where they |
| Foundation. The Foundation, which based the report on | | | | would be eligible for the State Children's Health |
| its 2005 Low-Income Coverage and Access Survey, | | | | Insurance Program, concerns exist over widespread |
| makes the argument that not having health insurance | | | | knowledge of the programs -- only 47% say they |
| affects not just a parent's health, but also the | | | | have heard of SCHIP. |
| well-being of the entire family. | | | | Research, the Kaiser report says, has documented the |
| The vast majority of low-income uninsured parents, | | | | importance of family coverage as a tool to reach |
| according to the report, are without access to health | | | | uninsured children and to improve access to |
| coverage. At the same time, their children are also | | | | healthcare. |
| much more likely to be without health insurance. Indeed, | | | | Low-income uninsured parents often have serious |
| four out of 10 low-income parents, defined as those | | | | health problems, says the Kaiser report. Unfortunately, |
| with income below 200% of the federal poverty level | | | | financial barriers block access to care. |
| (about $40,000 for a family of four in 2007) do not | | | | More than one quarter of uninsured parents in |
| have health insurance coverage. | | | | low-income families say they have fair or poor health, |
| Throughout Texas, and especially in cities such as | | | | with 14% saying they experience pain almost every |
| Dallas, Houston and Austin, the percentage of | | | | day and 8% reporting they have a disability that |
| uninsured residents is higher than any other state -- | | | | prevents them from participating fully in work or other |
| more than 24% according to most observers, including | | | | activities. Nearly half of uninsured parents, the Kaiser |
| the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. | | | | report says, say they have a chronic condition, leading |
| The Kaiser Family Foundation report also states that | | | | to the likelihood of their receiving less care with worse |
| most low-income uninsured parents are in working | | | | health outcomes than for those with similar health |
| families but with employment in areas of the economy | | | | conditions who do have health insurance. |
| that do not typically offer health coverage. Those | | | | While low-income uninsured parents have serious |
| sectors include construction, service and agricultural | | | | healthcare problems, the Kaiser report states that their |
| jobs, areas with the lowest levels of | | | | conditions are far worse than those with insured |
| employer-sponsored insurance. The U.S. Census | | | | parents. Low-income uninsured parents, for example, |
| Bureau indicates that only about 25% of low-income | | | | are half as likely to have visited a doctor for |
| workers in these industries were covered through an | | | | preventive care in the past 12 months. Further, those |
| employer-sponsored plan in 2005. | | | | without a medical home or regular preventive care |
| Workers without health insurance are also more likely | | | | may delay treatment in the early stages of a condition, |
| to work for firms with fewer than 25 employees, | | | | allowing the condition to worsen and possibly leading to |
| those companies being least likely to provide employer | | | | more expensive treatment later on. |
| coverage. | | | | The Kaiser report also states that lack of care causes |
| More than half of uninsured low-income parents in | | | | serious health and financial consequences for |
| employed families work for companies that do not | | | | low-income uninsured parents, with 60% saying they |
| offer coverage to any employees. Further, they do not | | | | saw their condition get worse as a result of not getting |
| have coverage through a spouse. Also, an additional | | | | timely care and 30% reporting a loss of time at work |
| 35% of low-income uninsured parents are not eligible | | | | or other activities. |
| for coverage through either their employer or their | | | | As the Kaiser report summarizes, health insurance for |
| spouse's employer, either because they have not been | | | | low-income parents influences not only their own |
| employed long enough or they do not work enough | | | | health and access to care but also the well-being of |
| hours to be covered. | | | | their families. When parents have health insurance, their |
| Only 13% of low-income uninsured parents have | | | | children are more likely to be covered as well, giving |
| access to employer coverage, the Kaiser report says. | | | | them access to healthcare. |