Anchorage Daily News

A majority of Kodiakans surveyed don't have affordable housing and some are struggling with health care costs, according to a report released last week by Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center.

The report uses a guideline from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to determine housing affordability. If a household spends less than 30 percent of its income on rent or mortgage, the housing is considered affordable.

According to the data, 69 percent of Kodiak residents don't have affordable housing. Sixty-two percent spent between 30 percent and 74 percent of their income on housing. Six percent spent 75 percent or more.

There were 930 respondents surveyed for the report.

Eleven percent of respondents went without basic needs, such as food, child care, health care or clothing in the last 12 months. Of these, 53 percent went without dental care and 44 percent went without health care. Twenty-five percent went without prescriptions. Nineteen percent went without heat, fuel or utilities. Twenty-five percent went without food they wanted.

Fifteen percent of surveyed adults and 19 percent of dependent children are uninsured.

The Healthy Alaskans 2010 Objective, a benchmark set by the state to improve health care, allows 5 percent of adults to be uninsured. No children may be uninsured to meet the objective.

The numbers of uninsured for Kodiak are less than in the rest of Alaska. According to the Alaska Department of Heath and Social Services, 17 percent of people are without health insurance in the state. In the U.S., 15 percent are uninsured, or about 46 million people.

According to a 2005 report from the Department of Health, 50 percent of personal bankruptcy filings are due to medical expenses.

Surveyed residents said they would like to see cardiologist, pediatrician, obstetrician-gynecologist and dermatologist services in Kodiak. Thirteen percent of respondents wanted a free clinic and 8 percent wanted elderly assisted living.

Donald Rush, CEO of Providence, said the purpose of the report is to identify community health needs. He said the hospital will conduct a survey every three years.

He said the hospital is focusing on an action plan that includes the recruitment of a permanent obstetrician-gynecologist.

The hospital also hopes to expand its allergy dermatology clinic and is exploring the initiation of a hospice program.

Rush said these are small steps toward improving overall health care in Kodiak.

"We have to target a specific area to see improvement," Rush said.

Fifty-two percent of respondents said that, overall, they were satisfied with health care in Kodiak. Forty-four percent said they were somewhat satisfied. Four percent were not at all satisfied.

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