The following section will discuss the background of the topic. Lack of health insurance coverage among millions of Americans still is one of this nation's most major problems.
Who are the 47 million uninsured?
• Two-thirds of the uninsured are from low-income families, with incomes less than twice the poverty level.
• Eight in ten uninsured Americans come from working families.
• 80% of the uninsured are adults. Young adults between the ages of 19-24 are at the greatest risk of being uninsured and make up more than one of every three uninsured adults.
• Approximately 75% of uninsured adults have gone without coverage for a period of at least one year.
• Racial and ethnic minorities make up a majority of the uninsured. Compared to the
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• Uninsured rates for Hispanics (30.7%) and blacks (20.8%) are higher than for non-Hispanic whites (11.7%).
• The large majority of the uninsured are American citizens, which consist of 78% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011).
Why are individuals in the United States uninsured?
• Majority of individuals are uninsured, because they can’t afford coverage on their own and don’t have access to affordable health insurance through their employer.
• 70% of uninsured employees work for organizations that do not offer health benefits or they are not eligible for their employer's plan.
• A low percentage of uninsured adults report that they do not have health coverage because they think they do not need it.
• Three-quarters of the uninsured are not eligible for public coverage. Medicaid covers most low-income children. However, even the poorest adults must be severely disabled or pregnant, and are usually disqualified if they do not have children (POV,
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• Billions of the costs of caring for the uninsured go unpaid or "uncompensated.” Federal and state tax dollars subsidized about 85% of these costs, and that funding mainly goes to hospitals and community clinics.
• The uninsured are more likely to delay medical care, which will increase their chances of preventable health problems, disability, and early death.
• Nearly 23% of uninsured adults report needing care but not getting it due to cost, compared to just two percent of those with private coverage or Medicaid/SCHIP.
• The research evidence is reliable and shows the uninsured are less likely than those with insurance to receive services for major health conditions, including traumatic injuries, heart attacks, pregnancy, and chronic diseases.
• The uninsured are more likely than the insured to develop a disability over time, and even after accounting for health differences, they are more likely to die early.
• It is estimated that at least 22,000 Americans die prematurely each year because they lack health coverage (Institute of Medicine,