Five Good Reasons For States to Expand Family Coverage

(Your Organizations Name/Logo)

We have a new opportunity Provide health coverage to uninsured parents States have choices What We Can Accomplish

Who Are the Uninsured? 43 Million Americans Are Uninsured and 8 out of 10 are in working families Source: Census Bureau

Five Good Reasons to Cover Families 1. Working families cant afford insurance 2. Supports families moving from welfare to work 3. Covering parents helps cover kids 4. Saves money and improves care 5. Federal government will help pay

1.Working Families Cant Afford Insurance Insurance is expensive Few of us could afford it by ourselves Most of us get coverage through our employer

Privately Insured 91% get insurance through the workplace Source: Census Bureau

Who Is Offered Coverage Through Work? Source: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured

How Much of the Premium Do Employees Pay? $130 $84 $ $ Source: Center for Studying Health System Change

2.Support Families Moving from Welfare to Work Low-wage jobs – probably no insurance Families lose Medicaid 49% of women leaving welfare are uninsured one year later Source: Garrett and Holahan, Health Affairs, Jan/Feb 2000

(Your States Name) Maximum Medicaid income = $ _______ Hours worked at minimum wage = _____ Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Medicaid Good benefits and nominal cost-sharing Its run by the states Improved coverage of kids But states dont cover most parents

3.Covering Parents Helps Kids More kids are likely to enroll Kids go to the doctor if their parents can, too Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Hanson, Inquiry 35.

4.Can Save Money and Improve Care Uninsured adults are: 5 times more likely to go without care 4 times more likely to use the emergency room Source: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Weissman, JAMA, 1992

Who Pays Now? The uninsured themselves Are charged more when they get care Health care contributed to 500,000 personal bankruptcies in 1999 Others costs are passed on to the publiccost shifting Source: Wielawski, Health Affairs, Sept/Oct 2000; Washington Post, April 25, 2000; National Bureau of Economic Research

Smarter Use of Health Care Dollars When people get coverage Some costs go down Emergency room use is reduced Cost shifting is reduced Source: Rhode Island RIteCare

5.The Federal Government Will Help Pay Federal government will pay ___% of cost Source: Families USA

States That Have Expanded Family Coverage (As of May 2001) 16 states provide Medicaid to families who earn up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level or higher. Implemented Expansions Enacted Expansions Source: Families USA California has implemented (100% of poverty) and enacted (200% of poverty) expansions

How Many (Name of State) Parents Can Be Helped? If eligibility is raised to: 100% of Poverty = ________ parents 200% of Poverty = ________ parents Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Census Bureau

Your campaigns name Name of a contact Phone number