According to estimates released by the National Health Interview Survey, 18.5% or over 55-million Americans under the age-of-65 were uninsured at some time in 2008. This might be considered shocking if it weren’t such a daily fact for so many.
The problem is wide-ranging but affects Americans aged 18-64 the most, accounting for over 81% of the uninsured population. Of those, nearly 60% of unemployed adults and 22% of employed adults had no health insurance coverage in the past year. Beyond that, over 32% of employed adults had experienced coverage gaps extending beyond a year.
Then there is the 13% under the age-of-18 without coverage in 2008. Of those, 12% defined as poor and nearly 15%near-poor children didn’t have any coverage. The remaining percentage relied on publicly-funded insurance. The good news is fewer of those were likely to experience periods of no health insurance coverage for a year or more.
Other health insurance coverage facts:
* Health insurance coverage is less likely for over 30% of Hispanics. Non-Hispanics fared better ranging between 10%-16%.
* If you are a woman, you may be one of 17% who lacked health insurance coverage in 2008; men averaged 3% higher.
* Americans living in the South and West portions of the country were more likely to not have health insurance coverage than residents in the Midwest and Northeast.
* Having an education makes you far more likely to be insured and the more the better. Over 35% of those without a high school diploma compared with fewer than 15% of those with higher education were uninsured in the past year.
* If you are married, it’s more probable you will have health insurance coverage than divorced couples. Domestic partners saw the largest amount of uninsured at just less than 40%.
* Publicly funded health insurance coverage has risen steadily over the past decade and now accounts for nearly 20% of Americans under 64 years-of-age. Conversely, private health insurance coverage has decreased over 5% for that same period of time.
As you can see, the sheer volume of uninsured Americans is a growing problem that needs to be addressed. Rising medical costs are making it harder for cash-strapped Americans to get proper medical attention. Also, worsening economic conditions are puting a strain on charity-based, as well as publicly-funded healthcare programs.
Still, this isn’t just a money issue; it’s also an issue of health and healthcare treatment. More people who are uninsured are less likely to see a doctor when sick or injured. Far less uninsured people will seek or continue treatment for a chronic condition than individuals with health insurance coverage. Finally, 5% more uninsured people believe their health to be below-average than uninsured.
While InsuranceUSA.com realizes that the health insurance coverage gap will remain a problem for some time to come, we are committed to providing access to affordable health insurance options. Please browse our site and read about ways that you can find the best, most inexpensive coverage for you and your family. If