Michiganders fare well with health coverage

Michigan has the most people with health coverage among the nation's 20 largest states, according to federal statistics released Monday.

Last year, 7.7% of Michiganders interviewed for a National Center for Health Statistics survey had no health insurance, compared with 23.8% in Texas, according to the division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The National Health Interview Survey used U.S. Census Bureau staffers for interviews with 75,456 people. Its findings include:

• Slightly more than one in 5 Michiganders who are insured have private coverage; the rest are in public plans. The high number with private insurance plans is a historical reflection of union bargaining for workplace benefits.

• Hispanics go without health insurance most often compared with other racial and ethnic groups. One-third were without coverage when interviewed.

• About 30% of young people ages 18-24 do not have insurance, the most of any age group.

Nationally, 18.1% of Americans under age 65 lack insurance. The number has risen each year since 1997. The South and West have the highest numbers of people lacking coverage.
source:www.freep.com