September 22, 2004 (ATLANTA) The estimated number of uninsured Georgians increased between 2002 and 2003 by more than three percent, according to a report by Dr. William S. Custer and Dr. Patricia Ketsche of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business. The report, based on Census Bureau data taken in March, states that overall, the number of Georgians without health insurance has increased by more than 23 percent in the 21st century, increasing from 1.13 million in 2000 to almost 1.4 million in 2003. According to Custer, associate professor and director of the Center for Health Services Research at Robinson, the number of uninsured in Georgia and nationwide is due, primarily, to a decrease in the number of Americans with employment-based health insurance. “In Georgia, the growth of employment-based coverage failed to match the population growth of the first three years of the 21st century. So while the number of Georgians with employment-based coverage didn’t change, the percentage of Georgians with employment-based coverage fell from 71 to 66 percent.” Additionally, the report states that a soft economy and falling incomes has led to an increased reliance on public coverage, particularly Medicaid, over the first three years of this decade. In Georgia, Medicaid coverage grew by more than 23 percent. _________________________________ The J. Mack Robinson College of Business is one of the world's best business schools. The College's Flex (part-time) MBA program has been listed in the top ten by U.S. News for the past eight years and its undergraduate business program is ranked among the top 40 in the nation (top 25 among public universities). The College's Executive MBA program is listed on The Financial Times list of the world's top ranked offerings and BusinessWeek magazine ranks it 24th in the world. Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business has an enrollment for more than 8000 students and is located in downtown Atlanta.