WASHINGTON, March 24, 2009
Report: 1 In 5 U.S. Workers Uninsured
More Going Without Health Coverage As Taxed Workers Feel Brunt Of Insurance Woes
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(AP)
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While just about all retirees are covered, and nearly 90 percent of children have health insurance, workers now are at significantly higher risk of being uninsured than in the 1990s, the last time lawmakers attempted a health care overhaul, according to a study to be released Tuesday.
The study for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that nearly 1 in 5 workers is uninsured, a statistically significant increase from fewer than 1 in 7 during the mid-1990s.
The problem is cost. Total premiums for employer plans have risen six to eight times faster than wages, depending on whether individual or family coverage is picked, the study found.
"The thing I think is interesting is how many workers are newly uninsured," said Lynn Blewett, director of the State Health Access Data Assistance Center at the University of Minnesota, which conducted the research. "In the last couple of years we've seen a deterioration of private health insurance."
About 20.7 million workers were uninsured in the mid-1990s. A decade later, it was 26.9 million, an increase of about 6 million, the study found.
In the 1990s, there were eight states with 20 percent or more of the working age population uninsured. Now there are 14: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas.
Yet workers continue to pay the bill for covering others. Their payroll taxes help support Medicare, which covers the elderly. Income taxes and other federal and state levies pay for covering the poor and the children of low-income working parents. But government provides little direct assistance to help cover workers themselves.
"There really aren't safety-net programs for adults," Blewett said.
The study comes as the Obama administration is scrambling to maintain support for a health care overhaul this year in the face of record federal deficits. A program like President Barack Obama's, which would commit the nation to coverage for all, is estimated to cost about $1.5 trillion over 10 years. Yet the U.S. health care system, already the world's costliest, is also considered one of the most wasteful.
"I don't think we can delay action beyond this year," said Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which sponsored the study and provides extensive financing for health care research. "It's clear that we are at the brink."
For the Ramer family of Denver, Iowa, it's already too late. Husband Jim, a truck driver for a road-building company, died of a heart attack in 2005 at the age of 59. He was uninsured and trying to cope with diabetes, a chronic disease that requires prescription drugs and follow-up medical care to keep under control.
His wife, Cindy, 58, works full time caring for mentally disabled people as a certified nursing assistant. But the nursing home that employs her canceled its medical coverage several years ago because it had become too expensive. Ramer is now uninsured and hasn't had a regular checkup in about three years. Instead, she goes to health fairs for bone-density measurements and other screening tests.
"I don't think it's fair that I'm caring for people and helping them with their health care, and I don't have adequate, affordable health care of my own," said Ramer. "I'm not asking for a handout. I'm just asking for something I can afford, and won't have all these restrictions that they'll cover this and won't cover that." Ramer says she can afford to pay about $100 to $150 a month.
If anything, the situation for workers appears to be worse than is reflected in the report. It analyzed Census data through 2007, the latest year available. But that before the economy tumbled into recession.
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- This story would be a nice contrast for all those about the US supplying all that free healthcare in Africa.
Posted by babooph at 1:46 PM : Mar 25, 2009
So YOU think taking away the health care given other nations is the solution? What do you ditto heads have in the space provided for brains? LOL The amount given to those nations would provide health care in this nation for few and for no length of time. In other words your statement is like everything else from the Radical Right, a dodge! We can no longer dodge this problem because it has shown NO signs of going away but instead gets bigger by the day. We can NOT be a World Class Economy when the workers who produce our goods and services have to carry this burden on top of competing with $1.30 a day in wages. - Reply to this comment
- The article says the 1 in 5 people without health insurance are the taxpayers who are paying for the health insurance system. Don't forget that there are 46 million households that don't pay any taxes because they had more kids than they can afford and they qualify for EIC and child credits to wipe out any tax liability they would have under a fair system of taxation. I'll bet 90% of the "1" in 5 fall in this catagory. So don't tell me they are paying for health care through their taxes. They are not paying for anything through their taxes, they are not paying taxes. They are getting a free ride on the backs of the rest of us.
Posted by taxedmore at 7:38 PM : Mar 25, 2009
What are you suggesting? We place a limit on how many kids the Under Educated have? LOL We have sat and listened to people like this find ONE villain after another to defend the WORST health care system in the entire world. We, the American People, pay out MORE for health care than any nation on the planet and we cover less with that money than any nation on the planet. Anyone with a brain knows we do NOT have more people "not paying taxes" than any other nation. We are no different than any other nation EXCEPT they provide health care for all their citizens. - Reply to this comment
- Posted by mecanik-2009 at 8:59 PM : Mar 25, 2009
This is why an employer-based health care system is an illogical one. Insurance is much more expensive for people who are out of work or in between jobs, just when their income is drastically reduced. When you find work again, they usually require a 3-month wait before you can get coverage. What if you have a major illness then?
And what if you do have insurance, but contract a major illness and have to quit your job? Yes, that's right, your insurance goes UP again, or is discontinued. This system has made a lot of families destitute and bankrupt, people who did everytihing right and thought their insurance will be there for them.
Time for a change from this insane health care system that we have. - Reply to this comment
- I've worked all my life at some sort of job and the only time I get insurance is when I work. I've never used the health care system where I didn't have my own insurance or pay for it out of my own pocket but I think we've reached a point we need to seriously look at socialized medicine. It's not the best solution but the other solution is far worse. When the free interprise system goes unchecked and is allowed to get so one sided it creates a slave class of people, we have problems like this. We're not quite there yet but it's coming if we don't do something now. The checks and blances of the free enterprise system don't effect the medical system as much as it should because they're protected behind a wall government licenses and bureaucracy. There is no competition. And anytine the insurance companies get involved its a mess. They're the other half of the problem.
- Reply to this comment
- The article says the 1 in 5 people without health insurance are the taxpayers who are paying for the health insurance system. Don't forget that there are 46 million households that don't pay any taxes because they had more kids than they can afford and they qualify for EIC and child credits to wipe out any tax liability they would have under a fair system of taxation. I'll bet 90% of the "1" in 5 fall in this catagory. So don't tell me they are paying for health care through their taxes. They are not paying for anything through their taxes, they are not paying taxes. They are getting a free ride on the backs of the rest of us.
- Reply to this comment
- This story would be a nice contrast for all those about the US supplying all that free healthcare in Africa.
- Reply to this comment
- I wish I had all the money I've paid, or which has been paid on my behalf, for medical insurance, minus the amount of claims filed, so I could be a multi-millionaire. Ditto for car insurance. Insurance is a SCAM.
- Reply to this comment
- Most health care insurance only pays 80% in the first place,
Posted by evilbusheviks
I wasn't offering a solution, just stating that their is health insurance available to those whose employers do not offer it. It is a individuals responsibility to pay for their insurance. The people mentioned in the story seem to believe that it wasn't their responsibility to go out and get their own insurance. Your solution seems to be since most insurance doesn't cover all you should have none. Brilliant idea. Maybe costs wouldn't be so high if the ones who can afford it pay for it and quit ********. The government is not there to pay for everything for you. Us working Americans who pay our own way can't afford the slackers anymore.
Posted by cdegolier at 5:00 PM : Mar 24, 2009
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You, sir, sound like that same MORON that stated health care is not a right it is a prileage, while he is getting HIS health care free courtesy of the US TAXPAYER. BS if you ask me. If I have to pay for his health insurance then he should have to pay for mine. And I guarantee I have more children than he does... - Reply to this comment
- The clowns in this industry led by Big Pharma had a massive run up in prices the last 4 years because they knew of the price controls they will be under in the future. The time for socialize medicine in America has come and then knew it. They have priced themselves into this. Posted by Baileyccc
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- Basic medical care would easily be provided by government funding if we just get the corruption out of it. The whole problem lays int the fact that everyone involved in the process thinks they need to get rich from it. We could also provide basic medical care if we would institute a system like the military draft and require anyone that gets a license to practice in the United States serve a 4 year "enlistment" at a Government medical facility. I don't think we owe everyone advanced medical procedures but if we could just provide simple life saving care to people who have nothing it would help alot.
- Reply to this comment
- Wait a minute!!!
There are still workers in the U.S.!!
I thought I got rid of all the good jobs!
Sincerely,
George W. Bush - Reply to this comment
- Most health care insurance only pays 80% in the first place,
Posted by evilbusheviks
I wasn't offering a solution, just stating that their is health insurance available to those whose employers do not offer it. It is a individuals responsibility to pay for their insurance. The people mentioned in the story seem to believe that it wasn't their responsibility to go out and get their own insurance. Your solution seems to be since most insurance doesn't cover all you should have none. Brilliant idea. Maybe costs wouldn't be so high if the ones who can afford it pay for it and quit ********. The government is not there to pay for everything for you. Us working Americans who pay our own way can't afford the slackers anymore. - Reply to this comment
- Do you know how many organic mango $600.00 a month can buy? Posted by Baileyccc
- Reply to this comment
- I disagree with Harry_Snapperergams. Health care is not a priviledge. "This way people will strive to do better in life so they can get a job that offers health insurance."
That is the most ridiculous statement I have read. So what you're saying is, that if someone is badly injured and taken to a hospital, but they don't have insurance they don't deserve treatment?? Oh that's right! You have to be priviledged to get medical treatment. - Reply to this comment
- Health care in this country is a national disgrace. And while the Republican sycophants repeat their endless drone of "socialism", every one of us is already paying for the uninsured--whether you like it or not.
Where those of us lucky enough to have decent health insurance go to our HMO prescribed doctor for day-to-day treatment, the uninsured go to the emergency room.
And by every measure, our health statistics are far below every other industrialized nation in the world.
Now THAT makes me sick! - Reply to this comment
- Don't encourage people to run to the emergency rooms for every little thing, that is the reason so many have had to close. The hospitals can't stat open treating people for nothing. Besides unless it is an emergency you are wasting not only the hospitals time but the actual patients time. Just because your employer doesn't provide health insurance doesn't mean you can't have it. You pay you car insurance don't you? There are plenty of options available, you just need to search them out. Don't blame anyone else because you chose not to insure yourself.
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- Is there one person out there that thinks there are people in the US that if they got sick and went to the hosptial they wouldn't get treated? Because if there is you are living in fantasy land. All this gripping about nationalized health care is nonsense. We are already there. Those few of us they do pay for health insurance are paying for all those that don't whether you realize it or not. We are either paying through taxes indirectly or our own health care premiums. I had to laugh they other day when I saw an article about an "undocumented alien" (now the politically correct word for Illegal alien), that was not going to be able to get her medicine and check-ups for diabetes because the state no longer had the money to pay the hospitals for this "service". Are you kidding me!! So first of all...bye, bye undocumented aliens. Secondly, the sooner we nationalize health care the sooner we "American citizens and Legal Aliens" will see our health care cost significantly reduced and the overall health of Americans getting better. Stop being fooled into thinking that hospitals are turning away sick people and no one is paying.
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- To make the $16,000/year in premiums (family coverage) seem worth it.
First, if you could save just 3 years premiums, you could easily pay what the hospital needs to charge for services."
You are correct for most illnesses but anything serious and self-insurance will bust very easily, leaving the family in bankruptcy.
An example, my sister had a premature baby, the costs for 6 weeks in the hospital were over $175,000 My mother had her should replaced, cost was $114,000 I had 45 minutes of outpatient surgery for a hernia, cost was $14,000
As you can see it wouldn't take much for self-insurance to destroy a family financially.
Those that believe in a private health care system (I do not) cannot blame not the socilaists or l - Reply to this comment
- There are only two groups of people guaranteed medical coverage in the USA ... corporate executives and politicians. Until the politicians are left without coverage nothing will change. Repubs will say we cannot afford it, but then will go off and start a couple wars to feed their military corporate friends. Demos will thrash around and whine, but don't have the backbone to go against their corporate sponsors either so the status quo will remain.
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- I just go to the ER as much as I can & refuse to pay the bill when it comes in; I just write an address correction on the back with "1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington DC", with no return address & no stamp so that way I dont even have to put a stamp on it. COD! Long as ONE U.S. tax dollar gets spent on any other country thats the way its going to be!
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