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The number of uninsured Americans hit record levels in 2006 with 47 million people without any essential health coverage, according to a report by the US Census Bureau. The report said there was a drastic increase in the number of Americans lacking health insurance over the last 12 months.
Soaring health care costs coupled with a withdrawal of many employer provided health benefits were cited as the main reasons behind this surge in the number of people without health insurance. Employment-based health coverage is one area that has been steadily declining over the last six years. As employers decrease health benefits families are being put into situations where they are forced to forgo health insurance.
Last year the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey found that lack of insurance was the highest among families with incomes under $20,000. However a startling finding was that even moderate- and middle-income earners and their families lacked health insurance at some pint of time during the previous 12 months.
"Of the estimated 48 million American adults who had any time uninsured in the past year, 67 percent were in families where at least one person was working full time," the survey said.
Health care spending in the United States has shown an exponential increase over the last few years. According to a report by the Office of the Actuary in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, by 2015, health care spending in the United States is projected to reach $4.0 trillion and 20.0 percent of GDP.
As the spending grows the number of people who lack health insurance is also projected to grow.
This year's Census Bureau report is no different. The report said that the number of Americans without health insurance coverage increased from 44.8 million in 2005 to 47 million in 2006. The report, titled "Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2006," found that the number of Americans with health insurance rose from 249 million in 2005 to 249.8 million in 2006.
Other major findings of the report as far as health insurance is concerned include:
* The percentage of Americans without health insurance rose from 15.3 percent in 2005 to 15.8 percent in 2006.
* There was no significant movement in the number of Americans covered by private health insurance and government insurance.
Children lack health insurance
* The number of children under 18 without health insurance increased from 10.9 percent in 2005 to 11.7 percent in 2006.
* In 2005 the number of children without health insurance was 8 million. This number increased to 8.7 million in 2006.
* The number of children covered by private insurance dropped from 65.8 percent in 2005 to 64.6 percent in 2006.
* Around 19.3 percent of children living in poverty had no health insurance to speak of
Private health insurance numbers also declined
* The percentage of people covered by private employer or private insurance companies dropped from 68.5 percent in 2005 to 67.9 percent in 2006.
* Meanwhile the percentage of people covered by government-sponsored health insurance plans decreased from 27.3 percent in 2005 to 27 percent in 2006.
* The percentage of people covered by employer health insurance plans was also down from 60.2 percent in 2005 to 59.7 percent in 2006.
Racial disparity in health insurance
* The number of whites without health insurance remained constant at 10.8 percent.
* The number of blacks without health insurance increased from 19 percent in 2005 to 20.5 percent in 2006
* The percentage of uninsured Hispanics also increased to 34.1 percent in 2006,. This means 15.3 million Hispanic lacked health insurance in 2006.
The Census report was seized upon by politicians and consumer advocates alike. Democrat frontrunner Sen. Hilary Clinton said, "When I began the fight for universal coverage almost 15 years ago, there were 37 million people uninsured. It was an outrage then and with 10 million more people uninsured today, it is an even deeper outrage today. Yet, the uninsured have been invisible to this president."
The American Medical Association said urgent legislative action was needed. "Today's announcement on the increase in the number of uninsured Americans is a forceful reminder that action is desperately needed. Currently, 47 million Americans, including nearly nine million children, don't have health insurance coverage," AMA board member Dr. Joseph Heyman said in a prepared statement.
This year the AMA has launched "Voice for the Uninsured," a three-year, multimillion-dollar advertising campaign intended to influence the health care debate in the 2008 election. The scheme also intends to promote its plan for providing health coverage for the uninsured.
AMA also supports increasing federal funds to expand government health programs, such as SCHIP, which is facing severe funds crunch.
Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund said the report was surprising given the fact that the number of people living in poverty dropped in 2006 and the economy was relatively stable.
"We need to get more comprehensive solutions on the table," she said. "There is a case for action to deal with uninsured children, and we need a comprehensive strategy that insures health insurance for all."
Universal health insurance is a much touted Holy Grail. But the dynamics of American insurance system do not appear to be suitable for such coverage. Until that happens families may have to struggle especially in face of soaring health costs.
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