The Uninsured

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Recommended: America’s Uninsured Crisis

In America, the number of uninsured rises every year and no solution to the problem has

become available. In 2009, the number of uninsured Americans was close to fifty million. In an economy where unemployment is at an all time high, millions of Americans are without

insurance due to unemployment. There are also a lot of uninsured Americans that are employed, however the cost of health insurance keeps rising and many families are opting not to have the insurance so that the bills can still be paid. Lack of insurance has had the greatest effect on thousands of Americans who suffer from chronic diseases. These Americans are now unable to go to the doctor on a regular basis and keep up with their daily medicines that are necessary in order to help keep them out of the hospitals. While the number of uninsured has increased nationwide, the awareness of the general population as to the affects of the uninsured has not increased comparably.

While our economy is struggling to get back on its feet, the unemployment rate is declining but at a very slow rate. With so many people still without jobs, many Americans who previously had health insurance found themselves unable to pay for private insurance or COBRA. COBRA is a health insurance plan which allows an employee who leaves a company to continue to be covered under the company’s health plan, for a certain time period and under certain conditions. With COBRA insurance one is now required to pay the full price for health insurance, meaning one is now responsible for the portion the company used to pay as well as the previous rates. For most of those who are unemployed, that is an amount that is not affordable. When one or more family members are unemployed, as is the case...

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...re written-off and the expenses passed on to future patients, most commonly those who are insured. While there has not been an agreed upon solution in regards to solving the problem of the uninsured in our nation, most everyone agrees that the problem needs to be addressed. Everyone deserves access to proper medical care at a reasonable rate.

Work Cited

Wilhelmine Miller, Elizabeth Richardson Vigdor and Willard G. Manning

Covering The Uninsured: What Is It Worth?

Health Affairs, no. (2004)

Paul Fronstin, EBRI (2001). Workers and Access to Health Care: Consequences of Bing Uninsured. Retrieved February 27, 2012, from http://www.ebri.org/pdf/publications/Books/economic_cost_of_uninsured.pdf

The Economic Impact of the Uninsured; Published: March 09,2005 in knowledge@Emory

http://knowledge.emory.edu/article.cfm; retrieved Feburary 27, 2012

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