Employed but Without Health Insurance

WORKING BUT UNINSURED: MILLIONS OF EMPLOYED AMERICANS UNINSURED AND UNABLE TO GET MEDICAL CARE

State-by-State Analysis Shows Extent of Problem; 41% of Uninsured Adults Unable to See a Doctor When Needed Due to Cost

U.S. Senators Launch ‘Cover the Uninsured Week,’ Chaired by Presidents Ford and Carter

Washington, DC – A new study analyzing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that a significant number of working Americans in every state do not have health care coverage, with more than 20 million working adults not having coverage.

In eight states, at least one in five working adults is uninsured. In 39 other states, at least one working adult in every 10 does not have health care coverage. The report further reveals that in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, between one-fourth and one-half of all uninsured adults were unable to see a doctor when needed in the past year because of cost.

"Characteristics of the Uninsured: A View from the States" was released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) during a kickoff event for Cover the Uninsured Week, the largest nonpartisan campaign in history to focus attention on the need to secure reliable, affordable health coverage for all Americans.

This report include include findings among surveyed adults ages 18-64 indicating that:

- The problem is pervasive among workers in every state. States with the highest rates of uninsured residents among employed adults include Texas (27 percent), New Mexico (23 percent), Louisiana (23 percent), Florida (22 percent), Montana (21 percent), Oklahoma (21 percent), Nevada (20 percent), and Arkansas (20 percent). States with the lowest uninsured rates among employed adults include Minnesota
(7 percent), Hawaii (9 percent), Delaware (9 percent), and the District of Columbia (9 percent).

- Uninsured adults are unable to see a doctor when needed. Nationally, 41 percent of uninsured adults report being unable to see a doctor when needed in the past 12 months, due to cost, compared to just nine percent of adults who have health care coverage.

- Uninsured adults are less likely to have a personal doctor or health care provider. Nationally, 56 percent of adults without health care coverage say they do not have a personal doctor or health care provider, compared with just 16 percent of people with health care coverage.

- Adults who are uninsured are much more likely to report being in poor or fair health than are adults who are insured. Nationally, one in five uninsured adults (20 percent) say their health is fair or poor, compared with nearly one in nine adults with health coverage (12 percent).

The report uses data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey (BRFSS). The BRFSS is a national telephone survey of preventive and health risk behaviors. It is administered in all 50 states and D.C. to adults 18 years of age and older.

We can let millions of Americans live without health care coverage, or we can do something about it. Visit CoverTheUninsuredWeek.org to learn what you can do to help.

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If you, or anyone you know, are looking for affordable (low cost or even no cost) health care coverage, go to HealthInsurance-Help.com. where you can find different (private and public) health care options for the:

Employed but Uninsured or Underinsured

Self-Employed

Unemployed and Uninsured

Also, Learn about the 7 Steps to Finding Affordable Health Insurance.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.

All the best,

Ann
www.healthinsurance-help.com