New Statistics About Health Insurance Among Adults

Based on the findings of a new University of Minnesota report, the numbers of adults in the United States who currently do not have any insurance coverage because they cannot afford it or do not have any sources of income is definitely on the rise. The report presents the data on a state-by-state basis.

Titled “At the Brink: Trends in America’s Uninsured 1994-2007,” the report details the serious increases in the number of residents who don’t have insurance as well as the relevant factors like decreases in private coverage in all states and the financial strains of the current economic crisis.

For example, the report noted that nearly 46 million Americans are uninsured. Broken down further, 22% were men while 18% were women. They are the working adults, a number somewhere around 26.9 million people.

Averages on policy costs increased from $2,560 back in 1996 to $4,118 in 2006. This represented a 61% rise in costs.

For employees of companies offering insurance the same ten-year time span saw a 79% increase. While pay levels only averaged 10% during the same period.

At the same time, the report highlighted the fact the numbers of those that had private health insurance coverage dropped from 73% to 67%. This included coverage for everyone but senior citizens. Some states saw as much as a 10% drop in those who had private insurance.

Despite the grim findings of the report, others are optimistic about the possibility of reform. As it has been noted elsewhere, in order for real reform to happen, it will take a coalition of willing parties including state and federal government, patients and doctors, as well as both political parties.

The report did mention some positive trends. In fact, in one place it was stated that the numbers of uninsured children had actually decreased. There was an almost 13% reduction the numbers. The total equaled 9.2 million. The reasons for this change of direction are largely attributed to Medicaid and federally funded programs like the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).