Poverty rises; health coverage slacks

The state still ranks among the best in the nation in both areas

Hawaii's poverty rate and percentage of its population without health insurance coverage increased slightly last year, but both remain among the lowest in the nation, according to statistics released yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The state's median household income also increased in 2006.

"It is encouraging that Hawaii is among the leading states in terms of health coverage," said Lillian Koller, state Department of Human Services director. "And we hope that one day all our residents will have access to quality health insurance."

Koller said the department expanded health coverage for Medicaid clients and widened eligibility for the state's Quest program to cover an additional 9,000 children from low-income families.

From among the people who responded to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, 8.9 percent in Hawaii reported incomes below the national poverty level. Only seven other states had lower poverty rates. The poverty rate is the percentage of people living below the poverty level.

In 2005, 8.6 percent of Hawaii's population was living below the poverty level, fifth-lowest among all states and the District of Columbia.

Nationally, the Census Bureau reported yesterday that 36.5 million Americans, or 12.3 percent of the population, were living in poverty last year. That's down from 37 million and 12.6 percent in 2005, the first significant decline since 2000.

The poverty level is the official measure used to determine eligibility for federal health, housing, nutrition and child care benefits. It differs by family size and makeup. For a family of four with two children, for example, the poverty level is $20,444 per year in household income.

Last year, the number of Americans who did not have health insurance coverage reached a record 47 million. That represented 15.8 percent of the population. In 2005, 46.6 million Americans, or 15.9 percent of the population, did not have health coverage.

In Hawaii, about 110,000 people, or 8.8 percent of all people in Hawaii, did not have health insurance, according to the Census Bureau. Only Rhode Island had a lower rate, with 8.6 percent.

Hawaii's three-year average from 2004 to 2006 is 8.6 percent.