Midlands Voices: Health reform can be remedy

The writer, of Lincoln, is executive director of The Center for People in Need, which provides numerous services to low-income working families.

So far, the impact of the recession has not been as brutal on Nebraska as it has elsewhere, but that is about to change.

We fortunately have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, but even so, the number of unemployed Nebraskans grew by 51 percent to 48,728 in the past year. The recession has caused a steep drop in revenues, forcing our governor to call a special legislative session to cut the state budget.

Newly released Census data paint a disturbing picture of growing poverty. Nationally, 2.6 million more people were living in poverty in 2008, one in eight of all Americans. In Nebraska, 187,000 people, including 56,000 children, were poor in 2008.

Some Nebraska counties are faring worse than others. Among the most troubled is Douglas County, where 12.6 percent of the residents, one in every eight, are poor.

The 2008 data are of great concern. Yet, families are faring even worse in 2009.

The Food Bank of Omaha, which serves 77 eastern Nebraska and 16 western Iowa counties, distributed nearly 10 percent more food in August 2009 than in August 2008. The Food Bank of Lincoln, which serves 16 southeastern counties including Lancaster County, distributed 32 percent more food. Distribution programs report highly significant increases in the number of families seeking food.

In addition, more families are relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP (formerly the Food Stamp Program).

From July 2008 to July 2009, an additional 20,000 Nebraskans began receiving benefits; now 142,000 Nebraskans use SNAP to help them put food on the table. Even so, Nebraska Appleseed reports that 14 percent of Nebraska children are “food insecure”; they don’t know where their next meal is coming from, or they may be forced to miss a meal.

In Nebraska, we have seen firsthand how well-targeted aid can reduce the painful consequences for low-income families. For example, this year the Nebraska Legislature made it possible for at least 5,000 additional children to begin receiving health care through Kids Connection, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

But the health care picture for Nebraskans is still grim. More individuals and families are losing their insurance coverage due to job losses or because employers can’t afford the skyrocketing costs of insurance.

In 2000-01, 8.5 percent of Nebraskans did not have health insurance. By 2007-08, the number of uninsured had grown to 12.6 percent and 221,000 Nebraskans lacked health insurance.

Individuals, families and employers are being priced out of the market. Families USA recently reported that health care premiums have risen 82.3 percent while earnings rose only 28.3 percent for Nebraska workers from 2000 through 2009.

The number of uninsured Nebraskans would have been even higher, except that some who lost their employer-based health care were able to receive Medicaid. Medicaid enrollment increased from 8.9 percent of individuals in 2000-01 to 11.4 percent in 2007-08.

We must not allow poverty to worsen. Poverty is heartbreaking for children. For them, the effects of poverty can be long-lasting: poor nutrition, poor health and poor prospects for success in school. In the short term, less money to spend means greater hardships for families and low retail sales for communities.

The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided critical aid, but funding for many of these programs will start running out in 2010. Careful consideration must be given to extending the funding.

This includes expanded aid to cover the rising costs of Medi- caid as more people lose their jobs and health insurance. Also, there must be a higher priority placed on K-12 and higher education, child care and early education, and other services that help families working to pull themselves out of poverty.

It’s also imperative, in order for families to reach long-term economic stability, that our leaders provide health care reform.

Improving the economic health of our country and our state must start with helping those who are hurting most. In the upcoming special legislative session, it cannot be the poor who bear the burden. Their burden already is significant.

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