By The Numbers: The Uninsured In America

Despite a growing economy, the percentage of the population with employer-sponsored insurance continued to decline and the number of uninsured Americans continued to increase.

In a new report issued by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, it was determined by researchers that the number of non-elderly Americans living without health insurance in 2005 rose an estimated 1.3 million lives. This recent addition now brings the total number of uninsured citizens living in the U.S. to 46.1 million.

F - O- R - T - Y S - I - X M - I - L - L - I - O - N…

With the U.S. population now approximating 300 million, this new figure means that about 15% of Americans–1 in 6–do not have health insurance.

But that’s a low-balled estimate because we’re only talking the non-elderly here. So, if you factor out the portion of the population over 65, the percentage of the population under 65 that doesn’t have health care is more like 19%–or 1 in 5.

To a lot of people (mostly those of us who are fortunate to have health insurance) this number doesn’t mean much. But let’s put this number in perspective.

Would you believe this:

The 46,100,000 U.S. citizens presently living without health insurance is roughly equivalent to the entire population residing in America’s 51 most populated cities.

Put another way, 46.1 million is every resident in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Columbus, Austin, Memphis, Baltimore, Fort Worth, Charlotte, El Paso, Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston, Denver, Louisville, Washington DC, Nashville, Las Vegas, Portland, Oklahoma City, Tucson, Albuquerque, Long Beach, Atlanta, Fresno, Sacramento, New Orleans, Cleveland, Kansas City, Mesa, Virginia Beach, Omaha, Oakland, Miami, Tulsa, Honolulu, Minneapolis, Colorado Springs, Arlington, and, last but not least, Wichita.

While the the number of uninsured Americans has been a real concern for years, what is perhaps most remarkable about this particular finding is the fact that the number of Americans under the age of 65 who lost their health insurance coverage occurred during a year when the economy was experiencing significant growth and the overall unemployment rate was declining.

According to study authors John Holohan and Allison Cook, there are several reasons why the increase in uninsured Americans occurred.

1. The first and most commonly discussed reason is that rapid growth in health care premiums led to declines in employers offering health benefits, as well as the rate of which employees participate or “take-up” these offers.

2. There are also demographic and workplace changes that affected the rate of employer-sponsored insurance. For example, in the past five years, there has been a shift towards work in small firms and to self-employment.

3. There has also been a decline in employment in industries that have historically provided high rates of coverage and a substantial increase in employment in industries that have not.

4. There have been much greater increases in population in the southern and western regions of the U.S. than in the east and midwest. The former have much lower rates of employer sponsored insurance and higher rates of insurance.

Whatever factors are responsible for the ever-growing ranks of the uninsured in America, the fact of the matter remains that 46.1 million Americans–residing in perhaps the wealthiest nation on the planet–do not have health insurance.

This is simpy unacceptable.

Dr. David Hunnicutt

For more information on this new report, visit The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation’s website at: http://www.kff.org/uninsured/upload/7571.pdf

Copyright 2006, David Hunnicutt.com

Information may not be reproduced or republished, in part or in whole, without express written permission.

The views and perspectives presented by Dr. Hunnicutt do not necessarily represent those of WELCOA.