Become a Member! (click here) Expanding Access to Health Care Services New Hampshire consistently ranks as one of the healthiest states in the nation, and yet there remain more than 96,000 people under the age of 65 who do not have access to any form of health insurance. As many as 25,000 of them are children. Countless other NH residents are underinsured, meaning that they face many of the same challenges of those without insurance: the inability to access the health care system for preventive care or to prevent and treat serious illness. NH faces some profound challenges in the area of health coverage and access to quality, affordable health care: Our Health Safety Net is Weakening NH's system of Community Health Centers is also in trouble. These private, non-profit ambulatory care providers have a mission to serve all who seek care, regardless of ability to pay or insurance status. Forty-one percent of those seeking care at CHCs are uninsured. Between 1994 and 2000, state spending on health care for the uninsured stagnated at $1.2 million, yet the demand for health care services from CHCs increased by 51.2 percent. Rising Insurance Rates Given that New Hampshire relies more than any other state on a system of employer-provided health insurance, fluctuations in the economy can mean the difference between health security or personal bankruptcy due to medical expenses for NH workers who are laid off or lose their jobs completely. In addition, the cost to employers and employees of health insurance has risen dramatically with rate increases averaging 15 to 25 percent each year for the past four years. Even in good financial times, small employers, who represent the backbone of the New Hampshire economy, are unable to afford to provide health insurance as an employee benefit. In fact, 73 percent of the uninsured in NH have a full-time job and another 12 percent are employed part time. Limited Competition in the Insurance Industry The number of insurers in the state has steadily declined since 1994. In the individual market, two insurers control 81 percent of the market. In the small group market, two insurers hold a 75 percent market share. In 1994, the individual market had six insurers compared with two in 2001. The small group market had 26 insurers in 1994; in 2001, there were only nine. Ensuring Access for People with Limited English Proficiency NH's residents who have limited English proficiency face significant challenges in accessing quality health care, particularly if they are uninsured. Click here for the April 2002 report: "What a Difference an Interpreter Can Make: Health Care Experiences of Uninsured with Limited English Proficiency" At New Hampshire Citizens Alliance, our goal is to achieve 100 percent access to quality, affordable health care. To do this, we are pursuing an aggressive campaign aimed at gaining incremental steps towards this long-term goal. Please join us in our campaign to increase the health security of all NH residents by expanding access to health care services. Contact us at nhca@totalnetnh.net for details!