Thought you might be interested in this story on Employer Health Benefits.
Harry
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Child Health Information Project Listserv
Children's Defense Fund
October 27, 1999
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In this issue:
* Kaiser Family Foundation: New Survey on Employer
Health Benefits
* Making It Clear: INS Publishes "Quick Guide to Public
Charge" Flyer for Immigrant Communities
* HUD Awards $56 Million To Protect Children &
Families From Lead-Based Paint Hazards
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KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION: NEW SURVEY ON EMPLOYER
HEALTH BENEFITS
A new annual survey released October 28, 1999, by the
Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health
Research and Educational Trust (HRET) reveals that
health insurance premiums rose faster than in previous
years -- though still by relatively modest amounts --
but with premium increases hitting small businesses
especially hard.
Despite the best economy in three decades, there were
no real changes in the number of firms offering health
insurance coverage and the number of employees who had
a choice of more than one health plan. The survey also
found that a majority of employers favor hotly debated
patient protections, including the right to sue health
plans.
The survey found that health insurance premiums
increased 4.8% from the Spring of 1998 to Spring
of 1999. While still a relatively modest increase
compared with the past era of double digit health
cost increases, this is the biggest annual increase
since 1994 and is more than double the economy-wide
inflation rate of 2.1%.
Small businesses, defined as firms with 3-199 workers,
experienced substantially higher premium increases than
larger businesses, defined as firms with 200 or more
workers (6.9% compared to 4.1%). The smallest of firms,
those with 3-9 workers, reported the highest increase
in premiums (9.2%).
Even in this strong economy, the number of uninsured
Americans continues to grow -- to 44.3 million,
according to recently released Census Bureau figures --
and the availability of employer health coverage shows
no signs of increasing. The survey found little change
over the last two years in the percentage of employers
offering coverage to their workers. While virtually all
large employers continue to offer coverage, just 60% of
small businesses do so.
"Premium increases are hitting the smallest of
businesses the hardest, most of whom already have a
difficult time affording health insurance. These
increases will make it even harder for small businesses
to provide health insurance for their employees in the
future," said Drew Altman, Ph.D., president of the
Kaiser Family Foundation.
"Whether or not you get health insurance on the job,
and the kinds of choices you have if you get it,
depends on where you work. The disparities between
large and small companies are likely to get
even worse as small businesses are hit with big premium
increases," said Larry Levitt, director of
the Changing Health Care Marketplace Project at the
Kaiser Family Foundation and a principal
analyst on the project.
Copies of the full report are available online at
www.kff.org or by calling the Kaiser Family
Foundation Publications Request Line at 1-800-656-4533
(ask for document #1538). Multiple copies
of the report (three or more) can be ordered through
HRET by calling 1-800-242-2626 (ask for
catalog number 097501).
The Kaiser Family Foundation, based in Menlo Park,
California, is an independent national health care
philanthropy and is not associated with Kaiser
Permanente or Kaiser Industries.
The Health Research and Educational Trust is a private,
not-for-profit organization involved in
research, education, and demonstration programs
addressing health management and policy issues.
Founded in 1944, HRET, an affiliate of the American
Hospital Association, collaborates with health
care, government, academic, business, and community
organizations across the United States to
conduct research and disseminate findings that help
shape the future of health care.
Source: Press Release, Kaiser Family Foundation,
Thursday, October 28, 1999.
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MAKING IT CLEAR: INS PUBLISHES "QUICK GUIDE TO PUBLIC
CHARGE" FLYER FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES
In response to requests from immigrant communities
following the release of the new public charge rules
last May, the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) has summarized the rules in a new two-page flyer.
Published on INS letterhead, the flyer, "A Quick Guide
to 'Public Charge' And Receipt of Public Benefits"
assures immigrants they will not be considered a
"public charge" for using a wide range of programs
including health care and food programs. It
emphasizes that immigrants applying for naturalization
cannot be turned down for past or current receipt of
any public benefit. It also clarifies that receipt of
benefits does not prevent citizens and lawful permanent
residents (LPRs) from sponsoring relatives, although
they cannot count the income from benefits toward the
minimum income requirement.
The guidance explains that the only government
programs that can have a negative effect on immigration
status are CASH WELFARE FOR INCOME MAINTENANCE AND
LONG-TERM INSTITUTIONAL CARE AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE.
The flyers can be distributed at community events and
reproduced in community newspapers and newsletters.
Immigrants and immigration lawyers can take the flyer
with them to INS and State Department interviews to
help ensure that adjudicators are informed about the
new rules. Advocates are planning a wide distribution
of the flyer to educate immigrant communities, the
immigration bar, social service providers, benefits
agency personnel, and local INS staff.
The INS plans to make translations of the flyer in
Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai.
The flyer is available on the INS website, at
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/publicaffairs
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
National Immigration Law Center
Los Angeles Office:213-639-3900 (for general
information and materials)
or
Washington, D.C. Office: 202-216-0261(regarding
policy issues)
Visit the National Immigration Law Center on the
internet at http:\\www.NILC.org
Source: National Immigration Law Center, listserv
up-date, October, 28, 1999.
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HUD AWARDS $56 MILLION TO PROTECT CHILDREN & FAMILIES
FROM LEAD-BASED PAINT HAZARDS
On Wednesday, October 27, 1999, Housing and Urban
Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo awarded $56 million
in grants to protect an estimated 30,000 children and
their families from the health hazards of lead-based
paint.
The HUD grants will go to state and local governments
primarily to remove lead-based paint hazards - such as
lead-contaminated paint, dust and soil - in privately
owned low-income housing. Funds will also be used for:
testing the blood of children to determine lead levels;
inspecting and testing homes for lead hazards;
temporarily relocating families during lead control
work; community education and outreach; job training
for lead hazard control workers; collecting and
analyzing data on lead hazards.
The Cuomo's announcement comes during the first
official National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
Week. Cuomo says, "All parents want the same thing for
their children that I want for my three daughters - the
opportunity to grow up healthy and to achieve their
full potential. These grants will protect thousands of
poor children from being robbed of these opportunities
by lead poisoning." Hundreds of community-based
organizations around the country are conducting
activities in observance of the week.
Lead-based paint was banned from use in all homes in
1978 to protect people from the hazards of lead.
However, many older houses and apartments still
contain lead-based paint. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention reports that nearly 1 million
children ages 1 to 5 have elevated blood lead levels -
amounting to about 5 percent of all children in that
age group. The majority of cases involve low-income
children. Exposure to lead can cause permanent damage
to the nervous system and widespread health problems.
Effects include reduced intelligence and attention
span, hearing loss, stunted growth, reading and
learning problems, and behavior difficulties.
HUD, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also
continue to jointly fund a toll-free phone line
(1-800-424-LEAD) to give callers information in English
and Spanish about lead hazards and about disclosure
requirements for people selling and renting homes.
Information is also available on HUD's internet site at
www.hud.gov/lea
Source: Press release, HUD, October 27, 1999
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