Texas Has Nation's Highest Rate of People without Health Insurance

Texas, the fastest growing state, has the highest percentage of the workforce no health insurance, of the Baylor, health care , University researchers report in an analysis of the recently released U, health care , .S. Census Bureau data.Nearly 31 percent of those aged 18 to 64 are uninsured, compared with the national average of, health care , 20.2 percent for this age group, according to senior research analyst Debbie McMahon and Wes Hinze Baylor of the Center for Community, health care , Research, health care , and, health care , Development in Waco.The 2006 statistics, in the midst of the national discussion about health released the nation care system, "the latest, most complete set of data out there that the health estimates for small areas," Hinze said. "Texas could stand to gain or lose more than others, depending on the contents of the coming health care Reform Bill," he said said.While a number of 254 Texas counties did better than the national average of working age, the provinces with the six largest Texas cities ranked worse, McMahon said.They include: - Harris County, which includes, health care , Houston - Texas' largest city - to 37.6 percent - Dallas County, which Dallas, 33.3 percent - Bexar County, which San Antonio, 27.3 percent - Travis County, where Austin, 29.4 percent; includes includes includes - Tarrant County, the Fort Worth, 27.8 percent - El Paso County, which El Paso, 40.2 percent.Several counties in West Texas and along the border with Mexico includes also had rates of uninsured people, ranging from 34 to 51 percent, the analysis showed. Eight Central Texas, health care , counties had rates ranging from 26 percent to 32 percent. They include Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Falls, Hamilton, Hill, Limestone and McLennan counties.The Census Bureau defines people as if they are insured under each type of health insurance for part or all of the previous year.McMahon, health care , Hinze and chose to looking at people of working age who have access to various health care options, because people over 65 are eligible for Medicare, while the children are often, health care , insured through their parents or through the Children's Health Insurance Program. "There is a wide and obviously incorrect assumption that employers health insurance," said Dr. Charles Tolbert, chair and professor of sociology at Baylor University. "By starting with the working people, most believed to be covered, health care , by employer insurance, the data are all that much more to tell, "he said. People in that age group have nothing to fall back, in contrast to younger and older people who have some back-up government, he said. "The pressure on the health of nearly one, health care , in three people without insurance is serious," said McMahon. "These data raise many more research questions than, health care , answers, but it, health care , is encouraging to me that when you start asking questions you closer to working on solutions." Other countries low in the rankings were, health care , New Mexico health insurance, with the second highest rate of uninsured, followed by Florida, Louisiana and California.States who fared best included Minnesota, that the lowest rate of uninsured, followed by Massachusetts, Hawaii,, health care , Wisconsin and Maine.McMahon Hinze and had analyzed data from the small surface Health Insurance Estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. These, health care , statistics are derived from information collected by different methods, which provides a comprehensive look at the nation's 3142 counties, McMahon said.Baylor University of the Center for Community Research and Development analyzes data for the entities, such as the Central Texas cities, counties and the Heart of Texas Council of Governments to aid them in planning for the future.