1 out of 4 Phoenix Residents Lack Health Insurance

According to AZCentral.com, one in four Phoenix residents lack health insurance, putting Arizona's largest city among the bottom dwellers among big cities on health coverage.

The article cited a new U.S. Census report documenting more than 381,000 Phoenix residents who lack health insurance.

The report also showed that overall, 19 percent of Arizonans do not have health insurance. The survey encompassed all types of insurance, including private coverage, employer-provided plans as well as those who take government insurance such as Medicare, for those 65 and older, and Medicaid, the joint federal-state insurance program for the poor and disabled.

According to the article, hospitals such as St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix treat a large amount of uninsured patients daily. In July and August, St. Joseph's provided $11 million in free care to those who could not afford their hospital bills.

St. Joseph's representatives say they expect the ranks of the uninsured in the Phoenix region will only grow as more people lose health coverage through COBRA.

The census figures show the economy has affected health care in other ways. For instance, for the first time this decade, the number of foreign-born residents declined in the United States. The numbers of foreign-born residents in Phoenix also declined.