U of M News Wire
February 14, 2008
Minnesota rate of uninsured citizens stabilizes following earlier increases
By Diana Harvey
U of M News Wire
After rising between 2001 and 2004, the percentage of Minnesotans without health insurance was stable between 2004 and 2007, according to the results of a new survey by the Minnesota Department of Health and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. An estimated 7.2 percent of Minnesotans, or about 374,000 people, were uninsured in 2007. The rate of uninsurance in 2007 was statistically unchanged from 2004 when it was 7.7 percent. An estimated 4.8 million Minnesotans have health insurance through an employer, public program or individual purchased coverage. National surveys, although not directly comparable to this study, show that Minnesota has the lowest uninsurance rate in the nation.
"It's good to see that insurance coverage was stable between 2004 and 2007," said Dr. Sanne Magnan, Minnesota Commissioner of Health. "However, these study results remind us that we still have a lot of work in front of us to ensure access and affordability of coverage for all Minnesotans. To make sustainable progress on health care access, we will need to make changes at every level of the health care system."
Overall, the 2007 survey results show stability in the sources of health insurance coverage for Minnesotans between 2004 and 2007. The share of the population with coverage through an employer was 62.5 percent in 2007, compared to 62.6 percent in 2004. About 25 percent of the population in both years received coverage through a public program such as Medicare or Medicaid, and 5 percent of the population had individually-purchased private insurance.
Historically, Minnesota has had a high rate of employer-based health insurance coverage, but surveys in 2001 and 2004 found a drop in employer coverage from 68.0 percent of the population to 62.6 percent. "There was no further erosion in employer coverage between 2004 and 2007, and that is good news given the continued cost increases that we have seen," said Julie Sonier, director of the Health Economics Program at MDH. "However, we need to find ways to slow the growth of costs in order to maintain and improve affordability and access to coverage."
There continue to be significant disparities in health insurance coverage by race and ethnicity. In 2007, the uninsurance rates for Black, American Indian, and Hispanic/Latino Minnesotans (14.7 percent, 16 percent, and 19 percent, respectively) were 2.3 to 3 times higher than the rate for the white population (6.4 percent). "Although Minnesota as a whole has a low rate of uninsurance, policymakers and citizens should be concerned about these large disparities in coverage," said Kathleen Call (pictured above), Associate Professor, University of Minnesota School of Public Health. "Reducing these disparities will not be easy, but it must be done."
Uninsurance rates also vary substantially by age and income. By age group, the uninsurance rate is highest for young adults, with an estimated 19 percent of adults age 18 to 24 lacking coverage. Nearly 18 percent of Minnesotans with family incomes below federal poverty guidelines ($20,650 for a family of four in 2007) were uninsured, compared to about 12.6 percent for people with incomes 1 to 3 times the poverty level, and 2.2 percent for people with income more than 4 times the poverty level.
The study results are based on a telephone survey of more than 9,700 Minnesota households conducted from July through December 2007. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish. The survey results are statistically weighted so that they are representative of the state population, and estimates from 2001 and 2004 have been re-weighted for comparability with the weighting methodology used in 2007; as a result, the 2001 and 2004 estimates in this report are slightly different from previously published figures.
----------
U of M - Crookston researchers developing equipment to get double duty out of biofuels
By Justin Ware
U of M News Wire
University of Minnesota, Crookston researchers are developing equipment that would allow farmers to have their biofuels and let their animals eat it, too.
A project led by Paul Aakre, assistant professor in agriculture, examines opportunities for individual farmers or farm groups to produce their own biodiesel from crops like canola and sunflowers and use the byproduct of that biodiesel production to feed their animals.
"Implementation and use of bio-fuels from oil seed crops and grain crops have the potential to curb the price gush of petroleum and at the same time provide a steady economic boost to the agricultural economy world wide," said Aakre.
The biodiesel facility has the capability to handle canola, sunflower or soybean oil, and, by use of a twin-screw press, produce crude vegetable oil. The oil will be made into bio-diesel by a process know as transesterification.
The transesterification process reduces the cold flow and the filter plugging associated with vegetable oils and also reduces the typical varnish build up in the combustion chamber of the diesel engine, making the oil more conducive for use in conventional compression ignition engines.
The vegetable oil could also be sold in the food grade market if specific standards are met.
The canola-meal pellets, which result from crushing the seed and removing the oil, will be researched as a possible dairy feed supplement by Harouna Maiga, UMC associate professor in animal science.
Northwest Manufacturing, Inc., from Red Lake Falls, Minn., will test the pellets as a source of fuel for burning in corn stoves as well as for emissions and efficiency.
----------
Growing Concerns
A parenting question-and-answer column with Dr. Martha Erickson of the University of Minnesota
Question: My husband and I both grew up in homes where no one ever talked about sex. We want to do things differently with our children, but we need some guidance about when and how to take on this touchy subject.
Answer: For many adults, one of the most uncomfortable tasks of parenting is talking to their kids about sex. It used to be that parents had a talk about "the birds and the bees" as their children approached adolescence. But today even very young children often see or hear explicit sexual information through TV, music, or from older children. In a world filled with casual and often negative images of sexuality, it is more important than ever that parents take responsibility for giving their kids good, age-appropriate information, communicating important values about love, respect and healthy sexual behavior.
Since you didn't say how old your children are, I’ll give you some general guidelines:
• Start early so that it is a natural, matter-of-fact part of the child's learning. With very young children this means teaching them about body parts and functions and answering all of their "what's this" and "why's that" questions. It is in these early years that you begin to establish an atmosphere of openness and trust.
• When your children ask questions, it's important to give them straightforward answers in language they can understand. Sometimes parents offer much more information than their children want or need. But if you take your cues from your children, they usually will let you know when they are ready for more information.
• With words and nonverbal communication, give your children a clear message that they always can come to you. If they ask things about your personal sex life -- as children often do -- set clear boundaries but don't shame them for asking. (For example, you might smile and say, "There are some things that are private for me -- just as there are for you.")
• When your children are young it's important to regulate what they see and hear on TV and in movies. Then as they get older, it's important to mediate what they see and hear by discussing it with them. It is the parents' job to communicate values about sex and relationships, making sure that children have a healthy context for thinking about this important aspect of life.
• Most of all, set an example. The best thing parents can do is give their children a model of a loving, respectful relationship that includes sex and romance, as well as deep friendship and trust.
Dr. Erickson is a senior fellow and director of the Harris Programs in the Center for Early Childhood Education at the University of Minnesota.
Want to hear more parenting advice?
Dr. Erickson and her daughter can be heard every Sunday, from 2 - 4 pm, on “Good Enough Moms,” on FM107.1 radio in the Twin Cities or via Webcast at www.FM1071.com
