Updated at 10:35 a.m., Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Hawai'i ranks high in health insurance for children
Advertiser Staff
Hawai'i is among the states with the highest percentage of children with health insurance, a study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows.The study said 6.2 percent of children in the state are uninsured, giving Hawai'i the fourth-lowest level. Other states with low rates were Vermont (5.6 percent), New Hampshire ( 6.0 percent) and Michigan (6.1 percent).
Texas had the highest rate of uninsured children with one out of every five not having health coverage, the study said. The national average is 11.5 percent.
The study found that low-income families are more likely to have uninsured children. It said employer health insurance offers to lower-income parents have fallen three times faster than the offers to parents who earn more money.
Hawai'i employers are required by state's Prepaid Healthcare Act to offer healthcare benefits to employees who work 20 hours a week.
