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The Urban Institute

The Urban Institute. Small Business and Health Insurance in the District of Columbia. Washington Area Policy Forum August 9th, 2006 The Urban Institute 2100 M Street NW Washington, DC 20037. District of Columbia State Planning Grant. Heather Reffett DC Department of Health

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The Urban Institute

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  1. The Urban Institute Small Business and Health Insurance in the District of Columbia Washington Area Policy Forum August 9th, 2006 The Urban Institute 2100 M Street NW Washington, DC 20037

  2. District of ColumbiaState Planning Grant Heather Reffett DC Department of Health August 9, 2006 Urban Institute Washington Area Policy Forum

  3. D.C. State Planning Grant • Overview • Panel • Research Findings • Final Recommendations • Next Steps

  4. Overview • The D.C. Department of Health was awarded the SPG in October 2003. • Research partner: The Urban Institute • Process: • Select Panel Members • Conduct and Present Research • Develop Policy Recommendations based on data

  5. Health Care Coverage Advisory Panel • Total of 25 members • First meeting was May 2004 • Diverse group comprised of: • health care providers • the business community, including insurance industry • health care advocates • public agencies and policy makers • the Uninsured

  6. Research 3 areas: • Who are the uninsured and what are the current gaps in coverage • DC’s experience with health coverage initiatives • Other state experiences

  7. Findings Who are the Uninsured? (data from annual federal current population survey and 2003 DC health survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Surveys do not take into consideration members of the DC Healthcare Alliance.) • 13.5% of DC residents are uninsured or 9% excluding Alliance members • 54% of DC residents have employer sponsored insurance • 74% of DC employers offer insurance

  8. Panel Recommendations • Presented to the Director of DOH on May 1, 2006 • 8 recommendations in total – primarily focus on improving what the District currently does

  9. Recommendations • Single Point of Entry • Information Clearinghouse • Outreach and enrollment for public coverage • Cover low-income disabled adults through HIFA waiver • Buy-in mechanism for public coverage • Analytic support for Healthy DC • Adequate Resources • Ongoing Monitoring

  10. Next Steps • Implementation • Further Research

  11. Research 5 Focus Groups held • people were willing to pay up to $200 a month for a comprehensive plan that covered prescription drug costs and preventative care Local Union Survey • 175 local unions were surveyed representing 170,000 employees of which 50,000 are DC residents • Some paid premiums as high as $400/month • Identified employers requiring a longer waiting period before new employees qualified to enroll in insurance plan Small business Survey • 410 small firms surveyed, half of which provide professional services and 15% were nonprofits • Of those who don’t offer insurance, 74% said they didn’t provide coverage because they couldn’t afford it and 16% said it was difficult to obtain information on what plans were available to them • More than half interviewed liked the idea of having a central location where to obtain information on plans available to them

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