The Uninsured: A Primer

The Uninsured: A Primer
Key facts about Americans without health insurance
The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
December 2010
https://www.kff.org/uninsured/upload/7451-06.pdf


Introduction

The number of nonelderly uninsured Americans rose to
50.0 million in 2009-an increase of 4.3 million people-
amidst rising unemployment rates and an economic
recession. (The Census Bureau reports a total of 50.7
million uninsured in 2009 which includes 676,000 persons
who are elderly (65+ years old). This primer focuses on
the nonelderly uninsured. Our analysis of the Current
Population Survey's ASEC supplement differs from
estimates by the Census Bureau in several other ways
that are outlined in the Data Notes in the back of this
primer.) Nearly all of the elderly are insured by
Medicare, yet nearly 700,000 of the elderly were
uninsured last year. Because the majority of the non-
elderly still receive their health insurance as a job
benefit, the steady decline in employer-sponsored health
coverage since 2000 and the current weak job market
largely explain the growing numbers of uninsured. The
safety net of Medicaid and the Children's Health
Insurance Program (CHIP) has prevented a larger increase
in the uninsured and, in particular, buffered children
from the full effects of the recession.Almost one in
five (19%) of the nonelderly was uninsured in 2009
(Figure 1).

The gaps in our health care system affect people of all
ages, races and ethnicities, and income levels; however,
those with the lowest income face the greatest risk of
being uninsured. Despite strong ties to the workforce-
more than three-quarters of the uninsured come from
working families-four in ten of the uninsured are
individuals and families who are poor (incomes less than
the federal poverty level or $22,050 for a family of
four in 2009).

Not having health insurance makes a difference in
people's access to needed medical care and their
financial security. The barriers the uninsured face in
getting the care that they need means they are less
likely to receive preventive care, are more likely to be
hospitalized for conditions that could have been
prevented, and are more likely to die in the hospital
than those with insurance. The financial impact can also
be severe. Uninsured families already struggle
financially to meet basic needs, and medical bills, even
for minor problems, can quickly lead to medical debt.

to read the entire report -
https://www.kff.org/uninsured/upload/7451-06.pdf