Who are the uninsured?

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Who are the uninsured?

Source: NCHC.org is a non-partisan think tank: Honorary Co-Chairmen are former

Presidents Bush and Jimmy , and its Co-Chairmen are former Governor

D. Ray (R-IA) and former Congressman W. Edgar (D-PA). Its

President is Henry E. , M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P.

* Nearly 46 million Americans, or 18 percent of the population under the age of

65, were without health insurance in 2007, the latest government data

available.1

* The number of uninsured rose 2.2 million between 2005 and 2006 and has

increased by almost 8 million people since 2000.1

* The large majority of the uninsured (80 percent) are native or naturalized

citizens.2

* The increase in the number of uninsured in 2006 was focused among working age

adults.

* The percentage of working adults (18 to 64) who had no health coverage climbed

from 19.7 percent in 2005 to 20.2 percent in 2006.1 Nearly 1.3 million full-time

workers lost their health insurance in 2006.

* Nearly 90 million people - about one-third of the population below the age of

65 spent a portion of either 2006 or 2007 without health coverage.3

* Over 8 in 10 uninsured people come from working families - almost 70 percent

from families with one or more full-time workers and 11 percent from families

with part-time workers.2

* The percentage of people (workers and dependents) with employment-based health

insurance has dropped from 70 percent in 1987 to 62 percent in 2007. This is the

lowest level of employment-based insurance coverage in more than a decade.4, 5

* In 2005, nearly 15 percent of employees had no employer-sponsored health

coverage available to them, either through their own job or through a family

member.6

* In 2007, 37 million workers were uninsured because not all businesses offer

health benefits, not all workers qualify for coverage and many employees cannot

afford their share of the health insurance premium even when coverage is at

their fingertips.1

* The number of uninsured children in 2007 was 8.1 million - or 10.7 percent of

all children in the U.S.1

* Young adults (18-to-24 years old) remained the least likely of any age group

to have health insurance in 2007 - 28.1 percent of this group did not have

health insurance.1

*The percentage and the number of uninsured Hispanics increased to 32.1 percent

and 15 million in 2007.1

* Nearly 40 percent of the uninsured population reside in households that earn

$50,000 or more.1

* A growing number of middle-income families cannot afford health insurance

payments even when coverage is offered by their employers.

http://www.nchc.org/facts/coverage.shtml