On December 18, 2008, the Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy released the 2008 Massachusetts Health Insurance Survey (HIS) reporting that only 2.6 percent of Massachusetts residents remain uninsured. The uninsurance rates by age group are:
- 1.2 percent of children,
- 3.7 percent of nonelderly adults, and
- 0 percent of elderly residents
For non-elderly adults, 81 percent receive insurance through their employer, 15 percent are covered by public or other programs, and 5 percent are on Medicare. Hispanics were the most likely to go without coverage; their uninsurance rate is 7.2 percent, compared to 2.2 percent for W hites and 2.6 for those whose race/ethnicity is non-W hite, non-Hispanic.
Support for the Massachusetts reforms continues to climb; 75 percent of those surveyed support reform, 14 percent oppose the reform and 11 percent refused or don’t know. This level of support is up from 64 percent supporting health reform in September 2006.
