Lousiana Affordable Health Insurance

Does Lousiana affordable health insurance exist? In 2003, less than a quarter of the population in Louisiana was without health insurance, at 21.1 percent. Numbers have shown that the percentage of children without health insurance decreased by half since 1999, which can be explained by an aggressive outreach for the state health insurance program for children. The same study showed that half of all state residents with income under $15,000 were uninsured. At 21.1 percent, Louisiana 's state average of uninsured is significantly higher than the national average and corresponds with lower income levels in pockets of the state.

Whether Health Insurance in Lousiana is affordable

Strangely, this study found that as income rose, the percentage of children without health insurance did not decrease. Eighteen percent of children in households making $35000-40,000 were uninsured. The major reason for high rates of uninsurance in Louisiana is widely perceived as the high cost of health insurance. The majority of uninsured residents is employed and has high school degrees, and the rate of uninsured adults is highest in the hotel and construction industries, as well as the service sector.

There are therefore many dynamics at play when looking at the characteristics of uninsured Louisiana residents. Incomes are low in northwest Louisiana , with 90 percent of incomes below the state average. Further, 21 percent of that region's population is below the poverty level, while 18 percent of the state is below the poverty level, as estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau. All these numbers can help explain why many Lousiana state residents opt not to purchase health insurance as it may not be affordable.

However, these numbers do not explain why low-income residents are not taking advantage of the state's Medicaid program. Almost 23 percent of the state population is eligible for Medicaid and evidently do not take full advantage of this program. Perhaps then, health insurance in Lousiana would be affordable.

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