By Michelle Phipps-Evans
 
The District fares relatively well in terms of health coverage for its residents. Given the large number of businesses offering employer-sponsored insurance, the number of residents working in the public sector, the city’s large Medicaid program and an above-national-average income, most people in the District have health insurance and receive good coverage. However, about 10 percent of the population is still without health coverage, according to data by the DC Department of Health (DOH).
 
For some, the barrier to coverage is the cost of health insurance; and for others, it is the lack of appropriate coverage suitable to their needs. Lack of health insurance coverage contributes to adverse consequences and poor health outcomes. Statistics show that the uninsured are almost twice as likely to delay getting medical care. Estimates also show that thousands of deaths among those aged 25 to 64 could have been prevented if they had health insurance. According to the Medical Care Research and Review, uninsured pregnant women use fewer prenatal services; and uninsured children and adults are less likely than the insured to report having a regular source of care to see medical providers. The growing number of uninsured has negative financial consequences both on the individual and on the health care delivery system.
 
Lacking health insurance can be a temporary or permanent state. Those with health insurance today may lose it tomorrow as minor changes in income or work status can cause individuals to drift between having and not having insurance. A new job may mean a new employer who does not offer health benefits or if benefits are offered, new employees may have a waiting period before they are eligible. An underinsured individual has health insurance that is inadequate to secure access to needed care. For example, individual health policies have substantial gaps, imposing high out-of-pocket costs and limiting access to benefits.
 
Because of these, the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) collaborated with DOH in declaring November as the District’s first Health Insurance Awareness Month. To mark the month, DISB worked with DOH and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer to launch a new health insurance website at healthinsurance.dc.gov, a one-stop site providing comprehensive information on health insurance in the District. (Do not use the www before the Web address.) It is expected to reduce the guesswork around health coverage residents qualify for, or what insurance plan makes the most sense to them and their families.
 
On November 15, DISB and DOH co-hosted a public forum on universal health coverage, during which DISB Commissioner Thomas E. Hampton discussed the agency’s key initiatives in helping reduce the District’s uninsured population such as a feasibility study on the creation and initial operation of a qualified high-risk pool for the District’s uninsurable population. The study would establish a mechanism for the District of Columbia to provide services to medically uninsurable District residents.
 
Also, DISB has been issuing weekly newsletters with health insurance tips based on one’s life stage—young singles, young families, established families and seniors/empty nesters. These are on DISB’s Web site at disb.dc.gov. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty issued a proclamation to show the city’s commitment to closing the disparities in health coverage.
 
DISB will continue to work toward increasing awareness on health insurance issues. Having the proper health coverage is critical, according to Commissioner Hampton, as it enables people of various economic levels to receive timely medical care, which maintains and improves the quality of their lives and their health.