<html> At 10:46 AM 8/25/99 , Max wrote:<br> <blockquote type=cite cite>I am curious about Hawaii.  My impression was they<br> had achieved high coverage rates at the cost of a<br> somewhat regressive financing scheme.  What is<br> the nature and source of the missing coverage?</blockquote><br> <br> Current Population Survey, 1997 data for Hawaii (my calculations):<br> <br> <u>Uninsurance Rates</u>  (not exclusive categories)<br> <br> Statewide: 7.5% (which is low for the U. S. but not universal, WI has lower rate)<br> Unemployed: 26.7% (it's an employer based system)<br> Self-Employed:  17.3% (also your employer has to be public)<br> Under 10 workers: 19.8% (there are small firm exemptions<br> Full-Time Workers: 8.6% (there are always exceptions, what's a good liberal to do)<br> Involuntary Part-Time Workers: 14.4% (it has loopholes based on hours worked)<br> Lowest Income Decile: 22.3% (the poor are the most effected)<br> <br> Highest Income Decile: 10.7% (this is the highest rate of self-insurance in US).<br> 10-24 workers:  4.5% (this is abnormally low for this class)<br> <br> Also, when the Employee Benefits Research Inst. (EBRI) did a study of underinsurance in 1994 or so, Hawaii had the greatest ratio of underinsured to insured--they had the most crappy health care plans.  Crappy being high deductibles or copayments or low coverage limits.  This is not reflective of care quality. Quality data is more recent and the NCQA data is self-reported so it isn't easy to assess across all types of plans.<br> <br> Peace,<br> <br> Jim<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <div>When you're too old for the swings you tend to choose the slide</div> <br> <div>It'll take you much lower than you ever would have asked</div> <div>'Cause as soon as you sit down the slide has got your ass</div> <br> <div>A pile of broken souls at the bottom it denied</div> <div>Don't take the slide, don't take the slide</div> <br> <div>--Paul Heaton from "The Slide"</div> </html>