A recent study done by the Commonwealth Fund found that one out of every four Americans went completely without health insurance at some point in 2011. The reason for the lack of insurance comes from unemployment or due to a change in job. This is something to keep in mind as we wait to see what the Supreme Court decides about the Affordable Care Act.
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation. Its focus is to promote a high preforming health care system. They want to see the current American health care system to have better access and quality and to be more efficient. They are a nonprofit organization that analyzes healthcare related issues.
The study involved a poll of 2,100 Americans. Each one was somewhere between age 19 and 64. In other words, this group was not yet old enough to qualify for Medicare coverage. The poll was conducted online between June 24, 2011, and July 5, 2011. The results reflected some of the continuing effects from the recession.
The study showed that 26% of non-elderly adults were uninsured. The researchers said that this equals around 48 million Americans. It is also slightly higher than one out of every four. That is a lot of people who are going without health insurance coverage!
The Commonwealth Fund noted that people who do not have health insurance coverage “disconnect” from the healthcare system. They avoid being treated for basic health issues, or more serious ones, because they cannot afford to pay for it. They skip screenings for cancer, cholesterol, and high blood pressure, again, because of the cost. Going without the proper treatment can lead to a much more serious health condition later on.
The study also looked into the reasons why people did not have health insurance coverage. A total of 40% of respondents said that they lost their health insurance when they lost their job, or when they switched jobs. They were, at one time, covered by an employer sponsored health insurance plan. When a person who has that type of coverage loses his job, he also loses his health insurance.
A total of 18% were uninsured because they had been dropped from Medicaid programs. Many states have been making a series of cuts to their Medicaid programs and excluding more and more of the people who once qualified for this type of health insurance coverage. Often, when states choose to make financial cuts to Medicaid programs, it is because the state sees this as a way to balance their budget. A total of 27% of people who took the poll had never had health insurance coverage, ever.
Image by 401K on Flickr