N.C. Leads the Nation in Uninsured

Well not in total uninsured, just in the growth of the uninsured, and I'm sure some politician is going to spend ten minutes tonight splitting that hair. I've been ranting and raving, feeling like a vioce in the wilderness about insurance and health care both in this nation and in this state and now this. Still, I've not seen any budget cuts put in place to try to help the people of this state. But at least the athletic departments are still safe.

Since the economic downturn began in 2007, North Carolina has led the nation in the growth of uninsured, according to a study released today.

The number of uninsured people in the state increased by about 322,000, estimate researchers with the N.C. Institute of Medicine and the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at UNC-Chapel Hill.

The total number of people without health insurances has reached 1.8 million, they found.

The study relied on a model that took into account unemployment numbers and historical trends between joblessness and insurance coverage.

The increase in unemployment is one reason for the rate of of the uninsured, according to the study. The state has lost employer-sponsored health coverage at nearly twice the rate seen nationally.(Jonathan B. Cox, News and Observer)