abstract: 'Objectives. We examined the disparities in health-care coverage between

  low- and high-income workers in Washington State (WA) to provide support

  for possible policy decisions for uninsured workers.

  Methods. We examined data from the WA Behavioral Risk Factor

  Surveillance System 2003-2007 and compared workers aged 18-64 years of

  low income (annual household income <\$35,000) and high income (annual

  household income >=\$35,000) on proportions and sources of health-care

  coverage. We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses on

  factors that were associated with the uninsured.

  Results. Of the 54,536 survey respondents who were working-age adults in

  WA, 13,922 (25.5\%) were low-income workers. The proportions of

  uninsured were 38.2\% for low-income workers and 6.3\% for high-income

  workers. While employment-based health benefits remained a dominant

  source of health insurance coverage, they covered only 40.2\% of

  low-income workers relative to 81.5\% of high-income workers. Besides

  income, workers were more likely to be uninsured if they were younger;

  male; Hispanic; less educated; not married; current smokers;

  self-employed; or employed in agriculture/forestry/fisheries,

  construction, and retail. More low-income workers (28.7\%) reported cost

  as an issue in paying for health services than did their high-income

  counterparts (6.7\%).

  Conclusion. A persistent gap in health-care coverage exists between low-

  and high-income workers. The identified characteristics of these workers

  can be used to implement policies to expand health insurance coverage.'
affiliation: 'Fan, ZJ (Corresponding Author), Washington State Dept Labor \& Ind,
  POB 44330, Olympia, WA 98504 USA.

  Fan, Z. Joyce; Anderson, Naomi J.; Foley, Michael; Rauser, Eddy; Silverstein, Barbara
  A., Washington State Dept Labor \& Ind, Olympia, WA 98504 USA.'
author: Fan, Z. Joyce and Anderson, Naomi J. and Foley, Michael and Rauser, Eddy and
  Silverstein, Barbara A.
author-email: fanj235@lni.wa.gov
author_list:
- family: Fan
  given: Z. Joyce
- family: Anderson
  given: Naomi J.
- family: Foley
  given: Michael
- family: Rauser
  given: Eddy
- family: Silverstein
  given: Barbara A.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1177/003335491112600511
files: []
issn: 0033-3549
journal: PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTS
keywords-plus: UNITED-STATES; INSURANCE; ADULTS
language: English
month: SEP-OCT
number: '5'
number-of-cited-references: '37'
orcid-numbers: 'Foley, Michael/0000-0002-8706-8096

  Anderson, Naomi/0000-0002-5392-7235'
pages: 690-699
papis_id: db719298496c69d802aa6d1598a938d4
ref: Fan2011persistentgap
times-cited: '7'
title: 'The Persistent Gap in Health-Care Coverage Between Low- and High-Income Workers
  in Washington State: BRFSS, 2003-2007'
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000294573700012
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '3'
volume: '126'
web-of-science-categories: Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health
year: '2011'