About the issue:
While a large part of national health reform focuses on expanding health insurance coverage to the uninsured, now, more than ever, addressing the adequacy of insurance coverage is crucial. For this reason, the issue of underinsurance is of particular interest to policymakers, industry leaders and the public.
Individuals are considered underinsured when their health insurance coverage does not adequately address their health care needs, a situation that often results in financial strain, medical debt or postponing needed care due to cost.
In advance of both state- and federal-level policy discussions about what constitutes adequate insurance coverage—such as what services should be included in all insurance plans and how to structure cost-sharing to incentivize patients to be better consumers of health care—the Kansas Health Institute’s The Underinsured in Kansas project has investigated how health insurance coverage affects Kansans.
The materials included here provide detailed, state-specific information addressing a subject that is important for current and future health policy discussion.
History of the Project:
Because little state-level information was available about how having inadequate health insurance coverage affects Kansans, the Kansas Health Institute, with the support of several health foundations in Kansas, began The Underinsured in Kansas project in 2008. The goal of the project was to gain a better understanding of how underinsurance impacts the lives of Kansans and then communicate that information to key stakeholders, policymakers and the public.
To learn more about the project’s findings, please browse the materials included below.
The Growing Health and Financial Costs of Inadequate Health Insurance Issue Brief, January 2009
This introduction to the issue of underinsurance discusses the difficulty in determining what constitutes underinsurance and alerts policymakers to issues they should consider when addressing this issue.
“The Impact of Underinsurance on Kansans” Convening, January 2009
KHI sponsored a convening in January 2009 to enhance the understanding of underinsurance and its impact on Kansans. The convening was meant to introduce stakeholders to the issue of underinsurance and encourage dialogue, specifically about the importance of determining how to define underinsurance.
Underinsurance in Kansas Video, January 2009
This video summarizes the issue of underinsurance and includes interviews with key stakeholders.
The Underinsured in Kansas Project Update, August 2009
This update, published one year after the start of The Underinsured in Kansas project, tracks the progress made toward the goal of determining how inadequate insurance coverage affects the lives of Kansans.
When Health Insurance is Not Enough, Research Brief, February 2010
By examining what it means to be underinsured, this brief looks at how Kansans with health insurance may still face significant financial or coverage difficulties that limit their ability to access health care.
“Meeting the Challenges of Underinsurance” Convening , April 2010
At this convening, held in April 2010, key industry leaders shared their perspectives on underinsurance and KHI staff presented the findings from The Underinsured in Kansas project, exploring policy implications and opportunities based on the results.
Voices of the Underinsured report, April 2010
KHI staff traveled the state to interview underinsured Kansans about how insurance limitations have affected their daily lives. Their stories are presented here, along with information relating each story to the broader policy context.