Health Insurance in Narragansett, Rhode Island
Three generations of family and friends celebrated together in the beach town of Narragansett, Rhode Island. More than 100 Rhode Islanders and a few out-of-towners caught up with each other. Of course, they enjoyed the chance to talk about their health and health care coverage over coffee and dessert.
How are Rhode Islanders covered? Of the state’s slightly more than one million residents, all but four percent are insured. (More than nine percent are uninsured nationally.) Half have employer-sponsored insurance. Relatively more residents are covered by Medicaid and Medicare than nationwide.
What health care issues did they have? Issues ranged from the happy to the devastating. Guests celebrated babies and pregnancies. Others had recovered from joint replacements and heart surgery. Unfortunately, a few suffered from a new cancer diagnosis or ongoing cancer treatment.
How were grandparents insured? Like many retirees, their personal and financial circumstances differed. Some chose Original Medicare with supplement plans because they wanted the flexibility when wintering someplace warm. Others enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans because they needed the savings.
How were parents covered? Most were still working with jobs that provided health insurance. Some worked for or had retired from the public sector—state, county, city jobs—that enjoyed union benefits. These benefits might have also included retiree health coverage.
How were parents covered? Fortunately, most enjoyed employer-sponsored health insurance. A few had coverage through HealthSourceRI, the state’s federal marketplace. Privately, they complained about the cost given their monthly contributions and annual deductibles.
What else? Local high school and college students catered the celebration. These jobs, which are generally part time, do not provide health insurance. Hopefully, all workers had coverage through their parents’ health plans. The Affordable Care Act ensured coverage for children to the age of 26.
Like many families and friends, they talked about their health and their health insurance when together. Most did their best to choose coverage that met their personal and financial needs. It wasn’t always easy. But, in other words, they were Mastering Health Insurance.
Sources: KFF (2021 data)
Photo: The Atlantic Ocean, Narragansett, Rhode Island