• Here is a report from The Public Policy Research Lab on Louisiana’s Uninsured Population, A Report from the 2007 Louisiana Health Insurance Survey (pdf)
and
• Five Basic Facts on the Uninsured (click for extended information in pdf format)
The number of uninsured is continuing to increase and reversing that trend has become a focus of policy efforts at the state and national levels. This brief provides basic facts that explain why 47 million people in the U.S. lack health insurance and how this affects their health and financial security.
- Most of the 47 million uninsured are in working families and do not have access to employer-sponsored insurance. Eight in ten of the uninsured live in families with at least one worker. Uninsured workers typically do not have employer sponsored insurance offered through their jobs and cannot access it through a family member.
- More than eight in ten of the uninsured are in low- or moderate-income families. About two-thirds of the uninsured have incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level (about $41,000 for a family of four in 2006). Only about one in ten of the uninsured are above 400% of poverty. Since the average annual cost of employer-sponsored family coverage in 2007 was $12,106, those with lower incomes can only afford coverage if they receive sizable employer contributions.
- Most low- and moderate-income uninsured adults are not eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid coverage is primarily available to low-income children, parents, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and the elderly. Most non-disabled adults under age 65 who do not have dependent children are not eligible for Medicaid regardless of their income.
- The uninsured suffer from negative health consequences due to their lack of access to necessary medical care. About one-quarter of uninsured adults go without needed care due to cost each year. The uninsured are less likely than those with insurance to receive preventive care and services for major health conditions. Lack of access to timely care causes more than 20,000 uninsured adults to die prematurely each year.
- Medical bills are a burden for the uninsured and frequently leave them with debt. The uninsured often face unaffordable medical bills when they do seek care. The uninsured pay for more than one-third of their care out-of-pocket and are often charged higher amounts for their care than the insured pay. These bills can quickly translate into unaffordable levels of medical debt since most of the uninsured have low or moderate incomes and have little, if any, savings.
Provided by the Kaiser statehealthfacts.org
