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It Impacts Us All
A Snapshot of Health Insurance in Rhode Island
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People of Color
People of color in Rhode Island, particularly African and Hispanic Americans, are uninsured at higher rates than their white counterparts, are more likely to work for an employer that does not offer affordable health coverage, and as a result, generally have more health problems and die younger.
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Retirees and Seniors
Skyrocketing prescription drug costs, which are not covered under Medicare, are devastating to seniors living on a fixed income. In addition, while people over age 65 are covered through Medicare, many older Americans age 55-64 face difficulties accessing affordable insurance, especially when a spouse dies, retires or becomes eligible for Medicare.
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Small Businesses and the Self-Employed
We are an economy that relies heavily on entrepreneurs and small businesses—96% of businesses in Rhode Island are small businesses. But since small businesses and the self-employed aren’t able to purchase insurance as cheaply as large corporations, rising health costs are making it increasingly difficult for them to afford basic health coverage for their employees and their families.
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Temporarily Unemployed
After relatively low unemployment for all of 2002, the unemployment rate in Rhode Island has consistently been above 5% in 2003, and above 6 percent for some months. As policymakers consider how to help newly unemployed workers and reinvigorate the overall economy, it is important that policies be put in place to ensure that workers do not lose their health insurance as well as their jobs.
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The Uninsured
More than 74 million Americans were uninsured for all or part of 2001-2002 -- that’s nearly one-third of all Americans under age 65. In Rhode Island, more than 184,000 residents, or almost 21% of the population went without health care for some part of the last 2 years. Because the cost of health care keeps rising out of control, being uninsured can happen to any of us. And when it does happen, it means our families are more likely to either forego needed medical care, or experience severe financial hardship trying to afford it.
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Working Families
More than 8 out of 10 Rhode Islanders without insurance have at least one worker at home, largely because health care costs are increasing faster than wages, and have been since 1999. If this trend continues, as expected, more and more working families will be unable to afford coverage.
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