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. 2011 Sep-Oct;126(5):690-9.
doi: 10.1177/003335491112600511.

The persistent gap in health-care coverage between low- and high-income workers in Washington State: BRFSS, 2003-2007

Z Joyce Fan  1 , Naomi J Anderson, Michael Foley, Eddy Rauser, Barbara A Silverstein
Affiliations

The persistent gap in health-care coverage between low- and high-income workers in Washington State: BRFSS, 2003-2007

Z Joyce Fan et al. Public Health Rep. 2011 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined the disparities in health-care coverage between low- and high-income workers in Washington State (WA) to provide support for possible policy decisions for uninsured workers.

Methods: We examined data from the WA Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2003-2007 and compared workers aged 18-64 years of low income (annual household income <$35,000) and high income (annual household income ≥$35,000) on proportions and sources of health-care coverage. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses on factors that were associated with the uninsured.

Results: Of the 54,536 survey respondents who were working-age adults in WA, 13,922 (25.5%) were low-income workers. The proportions of uninsured were 38.2% for low-income workers and 6.3% for high-income workers. While employment-based health benefits remained a dominant source of health insurance coverage, they covered only 40.2% of low-income workers relative to 81.5% of high-income workers. Besides income, workers were more likely to be uninsured if they were younger; male; Hispanic; less educated; not married; current smokers; self-employed; or employed in agriculture/forestry/fisheries, construction, and retail. More low-income workers (28.7%) reported cost as an issue in paying for health services than did their high-income counterparts (6.7%).

Conclusion: A persistent gap in health-care coverage exists between low- and high-income workers. The identified characteristics of these workers can be used to implement policies to expand health insurance coverage.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Health insurance sources among workers 18–64 years of age, by household income: Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2003–2007a
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Uninsured workers 18–64 years of age, by income: Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2003–2007
Figure 3a.
Figure 3a.
Workers 18–64 years of age who could not see a doctor because of cost, by income: Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2003–2007
Figure 3b.
Figure 3b.
Workers 18–64 years of age who could not see a doctor because of cost, by insurance status and income: Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2003–2007
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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