Uninsured measure holds steady

The percentage of the New Hampshire population that lacks health insurance held steady at about 10 percent in the most recent New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies quarterly “Index of the Population Lacking Health Insurance.”

According to Steve Norton, the center’s deputy director, the number of people who lack insurance continues totals about 130,000 – about the same number in the previous quarterly report.

Pointing out that the United States as a whole has experienced increases in the uninsured as a result of reductions in employer-sponsored insurance coverage, Norton said “the stability of our index tracking the uninsured in New Hampshire over the past six years suggests that employer-sponsored insurance coverage in New Hampshire remains strong despite significant increases in health-care costs over the same period.”

He said the center will continue calculating the measure every three months. Figures for the fourth quarter will be available in April 2006.

For more information, visit nhpolicy.org.