Indicator: Health Care Coverage
People with inadequate or no health insurance often forego routine preventive care. Some health problems may not be treated until they become more serious. This adds tremendous cost to an already costly health care system, and can add stress to families’ lives.
- Adults With Coverage
- Children With Coverage
- Immunizations
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Why This is Important
People with inadequate or no health insurance often forego routine preventive care. Some health problems may not be treated until they become more serious. This adds tremendous cost to an already costly health care system, and can add stress to families’ lives. Parents who are physically ill or suffer from an untreated mental illness do not function well as parents to their children.
Where We Stand
For 2006, an estimated 87.6% of Maine citizens 18 years old and older had health care insurance, a slightly higher percentage than the entire nation. While Maine’s level of coverage has varied from 86% in 2000 to the present 88%, the national rate of coverage has declined to its lowest level (83%) in the measurement period.
Data Source and Context
The data source for this indicator is the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which is administered and supported by the Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevalence and trend data is available on-line at http://www.cdc.gov/brfss. Surveillance data comes from a series of monthly telephone interviews with a sample of adults in each state. The U.S. data in the chart are the median value of the 50 state results in each year.
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Why This is Important
Children without health insurance are less likely to have a regular health care provider; less likely to have a regular dentist, or to have had a dental visit in the last year; and more likely to be in fair or poor health than low-income, privately-insured children.
Where We Stand
In 2006, most (94%) of Maine's children under 18 years old had health insurance. This is a definite improvement since 1995, when only 84% of Maine's children had health insurance. In comparison, 88% of persons under 18 had health insurance nationwide in 2006. These levels have not changed significantly in the reporting period.
Data Source and Context
Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's annual social and economic supplements to the Current Population Survey. The numbers in the chart are estimates based on interviews with a sample of Maine households; the state estimates are three-year averages. Data can be found on-line at: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/reports.html
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Why This is Important
Childhood vaccinations can prevent the diseases that killed or permanently impaired many children in past decades. Studies have shown that over $13 is saved for every dollar invested in measles/mumps/rubella vaccination. Vaccination is particularly important before children enter preschool to prevent the spread of diseases.
Where We Stand
During the 1990s, Maine's childhood vaccination rates increased dramatically, to the highest in the nation. No records exist of a Maine child dying of a vaccine-preventable disease during the 1990s. As of 2006, 85% of Maine’s 19-35 month old children were age-appropriately immunized, which is a smaller percentage than the previous two years. However, this was better than the national percentage of 83%.
Data Source and Context
Data comes from the National Immunization Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey uses a phone survey to estimate vaccination coverage levels for children age 19 to 35 months. Results for the year 1999 through 2005 surveys can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/stats-surv/imz-coverage.htm Children are considered to be “age-appropriately immunized” if they have “4:3:1 Series Coverage,” that is, 4 doses of DPT (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) vaccine, 3 doses of Poliovirus vaccine, and 1 dose of MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine. For a child to receive these immunizations, a minimum of 4 well child visits to a health care professional is necessary.