DURHAM, N.H. – Only 33 percent of low-income workers employed full time have employer-based health insurance, compared to 57 percent of higher-income workers, according to new research out of the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire.

Low-income workers are less likely to have access to health insurance through their job; 40 percent of low-income workers work for employers that don’t offer insurance, compared to 18 percent of higher-income workers. Low-income workers who do have access to health insurance through their employer are less likely to enroll, listing ineligibility and cost as barriers. When higher-income workers don’t enroll, it is most often because they do not need the plan.

“As changes to health insurance policy continue to evolve, it is critical to keep in mind that full-time employment isn’t necessarily a ticket to health insurance, and that access to employer-based health insurance is stratified by income and industry,” said Jess Carson, a research assistant professor with the school’s vulnerable families research program. “Despite gains in insurance coverage since passage of the ACA, some groups continue to be left out.”

The Carsey School of Public Policy conducts research, leadership development, and engaged scholarship relevant to public policy. They address pressing challenges, striving for innovative, responsive, and equitable solutions at all levels of government and in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.