HealthDay Reports: ~18 Million at Increased COVID-19 Risk Underinsured in US
For those at increased risk, higher rates of underinsurance seen with low income, in rural areas, for nonwhites.
~18 Million at Increased COVID-19 Risk Underinsured in U.S.
THURSDAY, June 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A total of 16.9 percent of those at increased risk for severe COVID-19 were inadequately insured at the start of the outbreak, according to a study published online June 10 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Adam W. Gaffney, M.D., M.P.H., from Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, and colleagues analyzed data from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to identify individuals at increased risk for COVID-19. High-risk individuals included those 65 years and older and nonelderly adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, heart disease, severe obesity, kidney disease, and diabetes. The rate of inadequate insurance within the high-risk population was explored.
The researchers found that relative to whites, blacks, American Indian/Alaska Natives, and those of other races were significantly more likely to be at increased risk for COVID-19, while Asians were significantly less likely to be at increased risk. Persons with lower incomes and those living in rural counties, Medicaid nonexpansion states, and states that had not issued a stay-at-home order were also more likely to be at increased risk. Overall, 16.9 percent (18.2 million individuals) of those at increased COVID-19 risk were uninsured or underinsured.