Key Facts: Utah's Uninsured

How Many Uninsured are There?

According to the Census Bureau, Utah’s uninsured rate (17.4% or 442,000 people) is now higher than the U.S. rate (15.8%).

Utah’s Uninsured Rate Surpasses the U.S. Rate for 2nd Year

Possible Explanations:

1. Utah’s economy is dominated by small businesses, which are at a distinct disadvantage under current health insurance model (poor risk management);
2. Utah is doing very little to systematically address the issue
3. Utah makes minimal use of public programs: most eligibility groups qualify at federally mandated levels; 1/3 of uninsured are eligible for Medicaid & CHIP but not enrolled; Utah’s CHIP program has been closed 75% of the time since 1998. 

Utah would have a much lower uninsured rate if it made better use of Medicaid and other public programs.

The most recent Utah Health Status Survey (2006) found 11.9% of the population, or 306,000 people) uninsured, reflecting a minor increase (.3%) from the previous year.

Percent of Utahns Uninsured, 2001-2006


Source: Utah Department of Health (2007). 2006 Utah Health Status Survey.

 No matter what source is used, the numbers are too high and growing at an alarming rate.  More importantly, the emerging causes of uninsurance will hit Utah harder than other states as time goes on, again because Utah has so many small businesses. 

Utah ranks 16th (in the bottom third of states) in its rate of uninsured residents.

Percent Uninsured, State Rankings, 2004-05

State	% Uninsured	Rank
Texas	25	1=worst
New Mexico	21	2
Florida	20	3
Arizona	19	4
California	19	4
Oklahoma	19	4
Alaska	18	7
Georgia	18	7
Louisiana	18	7
Montana	18	7
Nevada	18	7
Arkansas	17	12
Colorado	17	12
Mississippi	17	12
West Virginia	17	12
North Carolina	16	16
Oregon	16	16
South Carolina	16	16
Utah	16	16
Idaho	15	20
New Jersey	15	20
Wyoming	15	20
Alabama	14	23
Delaware	14	23
Illinois	14	23
Indiana	14	23
Kentucky	14	23
Maryland	14	23
Tennessee	14	23
Virginia	14	23
Washington	14	23
DC	13	32
New York	13	32
Michigan	12	34
Missouri	12	34
Ohio	12	34
South Dakota	12	34
Connecticut	11	38
Kansas	11	38
Maine	11	38
Massachusetts	11	38
Nebraska	11	38
North Dakota	11	38
Pennsylvania	11	38
Rhode Island	11	38
Vermont	11	38
New Hampshire	10	47
Wisconsin	10	47
Hawaii	9	49
Iowa	9	49
Minnesota	9	49

Source: Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured estimates based on the Census Bureau's March 2005 and 2006 Current Population Survey.

Percent Uninsured by Region, 2003 and 2005

Small Area	% Uninsured 2003	% Uninsured 2005
Statewide	9.1%	11.6%
Bear River	7.8%	9.9%
Central	10.7%	14.6%
Davis	4.7%	8.4%
Salt Lake	8.2%	11.4%
Southeastern	15.4%	12.5%
Southwestern	17%	14.7%
Summit	5.6%	12.7%
Tooele	5.5%	8.1%
Tri-County	12.8%	11.8%
Utah County	10.8%	11.8%
Wasatch	17.9%	9.9%
Weber-Morgan	8.3%	14.2%

Source: Utah Health Status Survey 2005. Significant changes are highlighted by the author in bold.

Among Utah counties there are significant variations in the increase (or decrease, in some cases) in uninsured from 2003 to 2005. For reasons yet unclear, certain regions of the state (Central, Davis, Summit, Weber-Morgan) are experiencing alarming growth in the rate of uninsured residents. 


Who Are Utah’s Uninsured?

According to the 2005 Utah Health Status Survey Report, Utah’s uninsured were primarily:

• Living below 200% of the poverty level.
• Adults, aged 19-64.
• High school graduates
• Employed full-time
• Working for small businesses (less than 50 employees)
• White, non-Hispanic Utahns (though Latino-Hispanics were themselves much more likely to be uninsured)

 

Distribution of Nonelderly Uninsured by Family Work Status, Utah & US (2006)
	UT	US
At Least 1 Full Time Worker	79%	71%
Part Time Workers	8%	11%
Non Workers	13%	18%
Total	100%	100%

 

The following groups are at higher than average risk for being uninsured:

• Hispanic/Latino adults vs. non-Hispanic (37.4% uninsured vs. 8.5% respectively)
• Young adults who had not completed high school (71.1%)
• Utahns living in households with annual income under $20,000.
• Adults employed by small business (23.2%)
• Persons living in non-Wasatch front counties (12.2%), especially those living in Southwest Utah (14.7%) and Central Utah (14.6%) health districts.
  
  

Nonelderly Uninsured by Individual Work Status


Source: Utah Health Status Survey, 2004

Utah, Nonelderly Uninsured by Family Work Status, 2004-05

The vast majority of Utah’s uninsured live in working families.

 

Uninsured Children

Between 2001-06 the uninsured rate among Utah children grew by 63.3%. It grew even faster (by 90.4%) for low-income (<200% poverty level) Utah children.

Population Group		2001	2003	2004	2005	2006	% Growth
							2001-06
All Children	Total Population	777,844	786,694	809,865	826,830	843,061	8.3%
Age 0-18	# of Uninsured	54,800	56,900	66,800	71,300	89,500
	% Uninsured	7.0%.	7.2%	8.3%	8.6%	10.6%	63.3%
Children	Total Population	298,500	294,300	346,900	312,300	322,600	8.00%
Age 0-18	# of Uninsured	35,600	42,100	48,600	52,400	67,800
0-200% poverty	% Uninsured	11.9%	14.3%	14.0%	16.8%	21.0%	90.4%

Source: Utah Health Status Survey, Office of Public Health Assessment, Utah Department of Health, April 2007.

Distribution of Children by Insurance Status, 2005-06

Utah’s children are far less likely (19%) to be enrolled in Medicaid than the national average (27%).

Ethnic Minorities

Historically Utah has been ethnically homogeneous; however today the ethnic minority communities are growing much faster than the rest of the population.  For example, between 2000 and 2004, 41% of Utah's population increase consisted of minorities—mostly Hispanics.

Source: Legislative Research and General Counsel (2006).

Health & health access disparities may be more pronounced in states like Utah, and this may be because health delivery systems have been designed to serve historically homogeneous populations.  In states with less relative diversity (thus less market demand for culturally competence) may be more important to tackle health and health access disparities.  Where there is sufficient data, the uninsured rates of ethnic minorities are quite high. Much of this, but not all, is related to socio-economic status. 

Uninsured Rates by Race/Ethnicity, 2001 vs. 2005

Source: Utah Department of Health. (2001 and 2005). Utah Health Status Surveys.
***Data not available until 2006 Health Status Survey.

Most of Utah’s uninsured live in low income households.  This underscores the need for coverage solutions to be affordable.

 Health Insurance Coverage by Poverty Status, 2005

Source: Utah Health Status Survey, 2005

Utah, Nonelderly Uninsured Rate by Federal Poverty Level, 2004-05

Source: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. State Fact Sheet: Utah.