More Illinois, Iowa residents are insured, U.S. Census says

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By Deirdre Cox Baker | Tuesday, September 02, 2008 |

Both Iowa and Illinois have pushed hard to include more people on state-supported health insurance programs, an effort reflected in recent figures released by the U.S. Census.

Figures made public last week show that the number of uninsured people nationwide dropped by 1.3 million last year as enrollment in state Medicaid programs grew by about the same amount. State programs — including HAWK-I in Iowa, and All Kids in Illinois — have picked up membership, although exact growth numbers are not yet available.

Illinois officials promoted the children’s health insurance program this summer with enticements, including $50 gasoline cards for successful applicants. Iowa launched a wide-ranging marketing campaign, including a recent one that involved local churches.

“A lot of the uninsured are young people who establish a low priority for spending money on insurance,” said Tom Alger, the communications director for the Iowa Insurance Division in Des Moines. Younger people tend to believe they are invincible, he added.

The most recent count on the number of uninsured in the United States is at 15.3 percent of the population, according to the Census Bureau. There are 273,812 in Iowa, or 9 percent of the state’s population, and 1.75 million in Illinois, or 14 percent, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports.

Last year, 26 states expanded eligibility for Medicaid, an insurance program for low-income residents, said Diane Rowland of the Kaiser foundation, a nonpartisan research group based in Menlo Park, Calif.

Iowa spent $9 million to expand Medicaid eligibility to people who do not ordinarily qualify for Medicaid, said Roger Munns, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Human Services. No similar moves were made in Illinois last year, according to state officials in Springfield.

The numbers of uninsured likely will fuel debate next year when Congress considers renewing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, which costs the federal government about $5 billion per year.

Late last year, President Bush drew fire when he twice vetoed congressional efforts to increase funding for it, saying that the plans raised taxes and expanded a program designed for low-income children to those in the middle-income brackets. SCHIP was extended to spring 2009, but it received no additional funding.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)

Deirdre Cox Baker can be contacted at (563) 383-2492 or dbaker@qctimes.com.

How to save money on health insurance

More Americans are having trouble paying health-care expenses, according to new reports.

The latest tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation indicates that 24 percent of the public continues to struggle to pay health-care bills. The poll was conducted in August by the nonpartisan research firm based in Menlo Park, Calif.

Other Americans are cutting back on medical care, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, of which Iowa is a member. A July survey by the association, based in Kansas City, Mo., showed that 22 percent said they see the doctor less often because of the poor economy. Some 11 percent said they have cut back on the number of prescription drugs they take or reduced the dosage of those medications to make them last longer.

However, 85 percent have not made any change to their health insurance policy. The Iowa Insurance Division offers these tips to lower your health insurance premiums:

-- If you’re married and both spouses work at jobs that provide health insurance, compare those policies and costs to see which one best fits your needs. Look beyond the monthly amount owed and find out your co-pay requirements, deductibles and reimbursement levels to make a final decision.

-- Stay in-network when possible, making sure to get referrals and pre-certification as your plan requires.

-- Keep all receipts for medical services, both in- and out-of-network. If you exceed your deductible, you may be eligible for a tax deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses.

-- Consider opening a flexible spending account if it is offered. This allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars for out-of-pocket medical expenses.