2008 Ohio Family Health Survey results released

The results from the 2008 Ohio Family Health Survey were released Monday and perhaps the most notable finding is that the uninsured rate for children has improved significantly since 2004, but has increased for working age adults.

The number of children without insurance dropped from 5.4 percent in 2004 to 4 percent in 2008.  At the same time, the uninsured rate for adults  age 18 to 64 increased from 15 percent to 17 percent, from an estimated 1,055,651 uninsured 18-to-64-year-olds in 2004 to 1,220,895 uninsured 18-to-64-year-olds in 2008.

Data from the survey, including summary tables, a county-by-county breakdown, a PowerPoint presentation on key findings and details on the survey instrument are all available at http://ofhs.webexone.com by clicking on the “enter as a guest” link below the sign-in box.

The media coverage of the release included:

• “Unemployment is driving up the number of uninsured adults in Ohio, survey finds,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 16, 2009
• “New study says more than 1.3 million Ohioans uninsured,” MedCity News, March 16, 2009
• “Kids add health care, but not adults,” Columbus Dispatch, March 16, 2009
• “Montgomery County ranks highest among urban counties for uninsured children,” Dayton Daily News, March 16, 2009
• “More Ohio adults lack coverage,” Cincinnati Enquirer, March 17, 2009
• “97,898 Ohio kids to be eligible for Ohio health plan,” Columbus Dispatch, March 17, 2009
• “Survey: More adults, fewer Ohio children uninsured,” Associated Press (via Forbes.com), March 17, 2009