Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

Almost half of nonelderly Texans had no health coverage at some point in the past two years, and that emphasizes the need to make good on health care reform promises, an advocacy group and U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez said Thursday.

A report released by Families USA found 44 percent of Texans did not have health insurance, many for six months or more, in 2007 and 2008, said Ron Pollack, the group's executive director.

Of the 9.3 million Texans affected, 82.6 percent were in working families, Pollack said.

“It means at least one person in their families was working part or full time, with the overwhelming majority of them working full time,” he said.

Gonzalez, who spoke on a conference call with Pollack and Anne Dunkelberg of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, said he hopes the figures add urgency to the discussion of health care reform.

“Everyone assumes that it must be someone that is unemployed,” Gonzalez said, “and that is not necessarily true.”

Sixty percent of Hispanic Texans are or have been uninsured in the past two years, while for black Texans the percentage is 43 percent and for Anglo Texans it's 29 percent.

“The impact on minorities ... is unfortunate,” Gonzalez said. “I don't want to lose sight that this is a shared crisis (affecting) all Americans, all families, and I think we're finally coming to that realization.”

But of all Americans, Pollack said, Texas has the highest percentage of residents who were uninsured at some point in the past two years.

Dunkelberg attributed that to the high cost of health insurance and lack of regulation in Texas. She said that has led to huge variations in the cost of small group coverage that puts it out of reach for many small employers.

“Small groups (are) paying as much as $29,000 per employee,” Dunkelberg said.

A proposal to fund more 3-share plans, such as one operating in Galveston, could help, she said. Those plans offer limited health benefits at reduced rates to small businesses. The cost is split among employer, employee and a third funding source from endowments or grant funds.

Another option being debated in the Legislature is the Healthy Texas plan, which would pay public money to private insurers for high-cost claims, according to CPPP's Web site.

Gonzalez said he welcomes state and local help, but “the federal government is going to have to provide the leadership” in this issue, and having a public option will make private insurers more competitive.

Republican lawmakers have said they oppose a public health care option, and observers say it will be a challenge to pass comprehensive national health care reform this year.