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| Uninsured People |  It has been estimated that about 46 million Americans didn’t have health insurance in 2004. Over time their number noticeably increases.
Factors that increase the number of uninsured people:
- Many employees simply don’t have the opportunity to get coverage.
- Many employees work in small businesses. Usually small firms that count less than 25 employees don’t offer health benefits to their workers.
- The main reason why small firms don’t offer coverage is rapid rise of health insurance premiums. Nowadays health insurance premiums are rising at extreme rates.
- In many cases when employees are offered coverage on the job, they can't always afford their part of the premium.
- When people lose their job, or quit voluntary it often means that they lose affordable coverage. With this problem not only workers but also their families face.
- Approximately 7% of unemployed can afford to pay for COBRA health insurance.
- Unsteadiness of coverage. It may vary during life’s transitions.
- People often lose their coverage because of divorce, retirement, or cutting down of work time.
To be uninsured carries some harm to individuals and their families:
- Uninsured people get less preventive care and often are diagnosed at more advanced disease stages.
- People without health insurance receive less therapeutic care and have higher mortality rates.
- Uninsured people are much less likely to receive a well-child checkup.
- People without health insurance have to pay up front. It means that they have to pay the full medical bill before medical services.
- Many uninsured people often get medical care in the emergency room.
- The mortality rates among people without health insurance are much higher than those with it.
- Very often uninsured people have problems with paying medical bills.
- People without health insurance are more likely to be hospitalized for an “avoidable condition”.
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