An annual Georgia State University (GSU) study found that 18 percent of Georgians lacked health insurance in 2008, compared with 15 percent nationally.  The study also found that coverage among young adults ages 18 to 24, often called “young invincibles,” has declined over the past eight years.  Finally, the authors note that insurance rates likely dropped significantly in 2009 because of the recession.

From the report:

Nationally, the number of uninsured Americans increased by over 700 thousand to 45.6 million, while in Georgia the number of uninsured increased slightly to 1.67 million between 2007 and 2008. Georgia and the nation as a whole saw a continued decreased in private coverage coupled with an increase in public coverage. Compared to national estimates, a significantly larger proportion of Georgians lack any source of coverage. Eighteen percent of all Georgians and over 19 percent of non-elderly Georgians lack coverage. Georgians are slightly more likely to have public coverage (20 versus 19.4 percent) than in the nation as a whole. Georgia’s S-CHIP program (PeachCare for Kids) contributes substantially to higher rates of public coverage.

The numbers of Georgians with out health insurance are likely to increase substantially when the census reports its numbers for 2009. The recession significantly decreased employment and as a result employment-based health insurance. The growth in health care cost has been eroding employer sponsored coverage in Georgia. The likelihood of having employer sponsored coverage has fallen by over 5 percentage points since the year 2000 based on the 2 year moving average. It is likely all families experienced an increase in the probability they were uninsured in 2009, regardless of firm size.

Full report:  Sources of Health Insurance Coverage in Georgia 2008 (PDF | 574.53 KB)