Census: 1 in 5 Essex County residents had no health coverage in 2005

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October 30, 2008

Local Task Force uses existing programs

By RYAN HUTCHINS The Press Republican Thu Oct 30, 2008, 12:00 AM EDT

SARANAC LAKE -- One in five Essex County residents had no health insurance in 2005, according to estimates recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

It's the fifth-worst showing among New York's 62 counties in the projections for 18- through 64-year-olds.

But another 2005 study, which focused on the Tri-Lakes region, showed just 11 percent of residents without insurance.

Hospital officials say it suggests some areas of the county may have uninsured rates that surpass 20 percent.

The issue's cause is rooted in the economics of rural areas and the dynamics of typical health-insurance plans. Most people receive coverage through their employers, but the Adirondack region counts few major companies among its ranks, putting the burden on small-business owners, who sometimes find it too expensive or complicated to give staff health benefits.

"It's a particularly distressing and complex problem in rural areas," Rep. John McHugh said.

HELPING NEIGHBORS

But officials trying to increase coverage -- including the state's Health Department chief -- say it's that same small-town world that's helping to improve those numbers.

"These are our neighbors that aren't insured," said Chandler Ralph, the chief executive officer of Adirondack Medical Center.

She was speaking at a recent meeting of the Tri-Lakes Uninsured Task Force, a cooperative of hospital, health, business and other organizational leaders who have been addressing the issue for almost seven years.

Their approach has been to not wait for government and to not push free coverage as the solution. Instead, they strive to reduce the uninsured one family at a time.

There has been a focus on enrolling patients in existing programs, which they say can provide coverage for many of the uninsured.

ALL KIDS COVERED

State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Richard F. Daines, visiting AMC last week, told the group that virtually all kids can be helped by state initiatives.

"We're able to say, I think pretty confidently, that any child can fit into one of our programs."

And many adults are also covered, according to Task Force members and McHugh, a Republican from Pierrepont.

"We've just got to do a better job reaching out to them," the congressman said.

The Task Force has been trying to do that, its members said, through numerous initiatives and a philosophy that everyone deserves a good health plan.

AMC gives 30-percent discounts to patients who meet with insurance enrollers, and it forgives previous balances for those who qualify and sign up for a program.

The Task Force has tried to educate business owners and employees, and sometimes sends enrollers to public events.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Ann Morgan, who was hired earlier this year as a project coordinator, said evidence proves the Task Force had an impact between 2003 and 2005, when its survey showed coverage increased by 4 percent.

Clinton and Franklin counties had coverage levels closer to the state average of 15 percent in 2005, the Census estimates show. Clinton was at 15.4 percent, and Franklin showed 16.4 percent.

But nearly 23,000 North Country residents, or 17 percent, may have been uninsured.

Assemblywoman Janet Duprey, a Republican who represents both counties and one town in Essex County, believes the numbers are lower now due to state initiatives and the work of AMC.

"Certainly Adirondack Medical Center has done a tremendous job."