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Americans at Risk

Posted by: Julia Eisman on Mar 04, 2009

Let's start with a quick survey. When you think of theuninsured, who comes to mind? A friend, a neighbor...you? The answer could be one- or all - of the above. That's because in the last two years, nearly 87million Americans under 65 - one out of three people - were uninsured.Just to put it into perspective, that is more than twicethe population of California; over three times the population of Texas!In other words, it's A LOT of people. 

These are the findings of Families USA's recent report, Americansat Risk which looks at who makes up the uninsured. Uninsurance affects usall - regardless of age, gender, race, or even income level. A closer look atthe numbers tells you that four out of five individuals came from workingfamilies, and that people of color are more likely to lack coverage.

When one-third of Americans go without health insurance, itis a serious problem. Going without insurance is risky for individuals andtheir families, because it leads to a lack of basic medical care that can help identify,and treat, illnesses before they become serious or life threatening. It is alsomore costly for the uninsured to obtain care, which ultimately affects us all. Sowhy is this crisis so large?

A number of factors have led to the remarkable number of Americans who are at risk due to uninsurance. While nearly 165 million non-elderly Americans receive coverage through their job or the job of a loved one, the changing labor market has led to a decline in job-based health insurance. In addition, rising health insurance premiums have priced a growing share of Americans out of coverage, and limitations on eligibility for health care safety net programs leave millions of hard-working families with no affordable and available option for coverage. These trends are likely to accelerate as the economy continues to weaken.

It is not only our health security that is at risk, but alsoour economic security. With one out of three non-elderly Americans uninsured even before the recession hit, it iseven more imperative to take action now to expand coverage given our currentweakening economy. What this points to is the need for leaders in Washington to takeseriously their commitment to reform health care in 2009.