Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Stefan Gildemeister, State Health Economist





If you don't have insurance- What happens?





Advocacy vs. Research in the Minnesota Department of Health.

The state of Minnesota's Health System. Our Future and what you can do right NOW to help your self.

Stefan Gildemeister, State Health Economist




What are the patterns of the young and uninsured?




Stefan talks about the major problems with young adults and not being insured. The state of transition, low income and little or no benefits create the perfect storm for people in the 20s. What are your choices and priorities?


What happens when you delay care? Stefan answers questions about what happens in an emergency situation, costs, problems and procedures.

Stefan Gildemeister, State Health Economist

I went to the Minnesota Department of Health to talk to Stefan Gildemeister. He had some intersting facts and figures about Minnesota's uninsured. Randi L. Niklekaj

Monday, April 14, 2008

The 2007 College Student Health Survey

Among the individuals from 14 Minnesota colleges and universities who participated in the 2007 College Student Health Survey (conducted each year by Boynton Health Service), 13.9 percent report they are uninsured or do not know if they are insured.

These rates tend to be lower than the uninsured rates among all 18- to 24- year-old Minnesotans. Because many insurance plans allow dependents under the age of 25 to remain eligible for coverage while attending a postsecondary institution, this may be a factor in the lower rates reported by survey respondents. In addition, the lower rates may reflect students’ access to health insurance offered through the institution they are attending.

Students attending the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities (UMTC) report an overall uninsured rate of 14.6 percnet. Males tend to have a higher uninsured rate compared to females (17.6 percent vs. 12.6 percent, respectively). International students report an uninsured rate of 54.6 percent.

University of Minnesota–Twin Cities students ages 25-29 report the highest uninsured rate. The lowest uninsured rates are among UMTC students ages 18-19 and 20-24. This may be a reflection of parental health insurance coverage for students ages 18-24.

Health insurance coverage appears to have an impact on whether UMTC students obtained routine medical examinations within the past 12 months. Uninsured male and female students had slightly lower rates of obtaining a routine medical examination than insured students.

Insured students at UMTC obtain immunizations for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and meningitis at higher rates than uninsured students at the university. However, insured and uninsured students at UMTC receive influenza immunizations at the same rate.

-Jessica