One of Seven Coloradans Does Not Have Health Insurance: Findings from 2013 Colorado Health Access Survey Reveal Level of State’s Coverage

The 2013 Colorado Health Access Survey, released today, reveals that 741,000 Coloradans – one of seven residents - does not have health insurance.

The percentage of Coloradans without health insurance is 14.3 percent compared to 15.8 percent in 2011 and 13.5 percent in 2009, when the last surveys were fielded. The 2013 data suggest a slight uptick in health insurance coverage, although an improving economy has yet to translate into a robust increase in the number of Coloradans with health insurance.

The Colorado Health Access Survey – the CHAS – is the premier source of information on health insurance coverage, access to health care, and how health care is used in Colorado. Findings from the 2013 CHAS give a detailed picture of Colorado’s changing health landscape.

Data from the 2013 CHAS will serve another important function – providing a baseline of information to help measure the impact of the Affordable Care Act in Colorado. CHAS data will show how many additional Coloradans obtain health insurance, whether it is affordable, and whether having health insurance translates into better access to health care.

Additional findings from the 2013 CHAS:

  • Employer-sponsored insurance, the backbone of coverage for most Coloradans, has not returned to 2009 levels. That year, 63.7 percent of Coloradans were covered by health insurance obtained through an employer. In 2013, it is 59.0 percent.
  • Four counties in northwest Colorado – Routt, Moffatt, Jackson and Rio Blanco – have the highest percentage of residents without insurance at 24.8 percent. Douglas County has the lowest rate at 5.4 percent.
  • Nearly 8 percent of Coloradans said they needed mental health services or counseling services in the 12 months before the survey, but did not get them, with the most frequently cited reasons relating to cost.
  • The high cost of health care deters many Coloradans from receiving treatment when they need it. Citing cost, about one of five Coloradans (19.3 percent) report foregoing needed dental care, 12.3 percent did not seek a doctor’s care and 11.2 percent report that they did not fill a prescription. 
  • Being without health insurance on a long-term basis is more common than short gaps in coverage. Four of five uninsured Coloradans have been without coverage for at least a year.
  • More than one of four young adults between the ages of 19 and 26 do not have health insurance, the highest rate among all age groups.
  • Hispanic Coloradans are disproportionately uninsured. Approximately 26 percent of the population identifies as Hispanic, but 38.6 percent of the uninsured are Hispanic.
  • The majority of Coloradans (69.1 percent) agree that the health care system is meeting the needs of their families. Significantly fewer (44.1 percent) feel that the health care system is meeting the needs of most Coloradans; however, between 2011 and 2013 there was a large increase in the number of people who agree that the current system is meeting the needs of most Coloradans.

The 2013 survey was fielded between April 15 and July 27. More than 10,000 randomly selected households participated in the 20-minute survey. The CHAS is fielded, analyzed and managed by the Colorado Health Institute. It is funded by The Colorado Trust.

 

ABOUT THE COLORADO HEALTH INSTITUTE

The Colorado Health Institute provides independent health research and analysis, as well as strategic consulting and expert facilitation, for Colorado’s health care leaders and policy makers. The Colorado Health Institute is funded primarily by four health care conversion foundations: Caring for Colorado Foundation, Rose Community Foundation, The Colorado Trust and The Colorado Health Foundation. For more information, go to www.coloradohealthinstitute.org.

ABOUT THE COLORADO TRUST

The Colorado Trust is a health foundation dedicated to achieving health equity. For more information, go to www.coloradotrust.org