Taeko Praus

Roxanne Stevens

HEA 141

April 13, 2010

Uninsured Americans

Millions of Americans have little or no access to healthcare coverage, which means there are increasing numbers of people in America without any types of health insurance.

According to the new US Census Bureau data, “For the sixth consecutive years, the number of the Americans living without health insurance has risen, and approximately 2.2 million people were added to the uninsurance rolls in 2006-the largest one-year insurance in the number of uninsured Americans since 2002” (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/567737). This study shows that the United States is the only nation that does not make sure all citizens have some sort of healthcare coverage.

During 2006, 47 million people of the US population were without health insurance, which is a 4.9 percent increase from 2005 (http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/567737). Most of the people in American get their health insurance through their employer. But even with job-based health insurance the number is declining, because most people can’t afford to pay a high insurance premium or the small business is not offering healthcare coverage to their employees.

Many children are also without health insurance. “The census data showed that 8.7 million American children were uninsured in 2005. One million more than 2004”: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/08/29/47_million_americans_are_uninsured/

These children are under the age of 18 and are more likely to be without some sort of healthcare coverage than children younger than age 12.

According to Census Bureau, “more than 6.6 million children in the United States were covered by the Federal children’s program, known as SCHIP (the State Children’s Health Insurance Program) at some point”: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/567737

Most people rely on getting health insurance through their employment. However, those people will lose their health benefits once they lose...