By Christopher J. Gearon
Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Life, along with his family's health insurance situation, has improved for Sam Atadjanov, 38, who emigrated from Uzbekistan 11 years ago. In 2007, Atadjanov worked as an accountant for a small Silver Spring business and could afford coverage for himself but not for his wife, Dilya; his two boys qualified for free care through the Maryland Children's Health Program, which covers minors in low-income families.

In December, Atadjanov got a job as a finance control officer at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene -- and with it, better benefits. "Everybody has insurance now," says Atadjanov, who lives in Ellicott City. "We are thankful that during a hard time these [state] programs were there for us."

The couple opted for a CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield HMO, paying about $110 in monthly premiums for the parents. Their boys still qualify for low-cost insurance ($46 per month) through the state program. Atadjanov's wife, who works in a pizzeria, expects a salary increase soon; that should allow them to move the kids into the CareFirst plan.

The availability of programs such as Maryland's was the reason the number of uninsured Americans decreased by 1.3 million between 2006 and 2007, experts say. A total of 36.3 million people depended on Medicaid or state-level children's programs in 2007, according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute.