Every year, the number of uninsured people in America grows, and no solution to the problem has emerged. Millions of Americans – up to 25% of the population – are delaying medical treatment due to rising costs. Unemployment has left millions of Americans without health insurance in an economy where unemployment is at an all-time high. There are many uninsured Americans who work, but the cost of health insurance continues to rise, and many families are choosing not to have insurance in order to pay their bills. Thousands of Americans with chronic diseases have suffered the most as a result of a lack of insurance (The Americans dying because they can't afford medical care, 2022).
Why are people uninsured?
In 2019, the number of uninsured people increased for the third year in a row. In 2019, 28.9 million non-elderly people were uninsured, up over one million from the previous year. Medicaid and non-group coverage declines accounted for the majority of coverage losses, which were disproportionately high among Hispanics and children. Despite these recent increases, the uninsured rate in 2019 was significantly lower than it was in 2010 when the first ACA provisions took effect and before Medicaid expansion and the creation of Health Insurance Marketplaces (Key Facts about the Uninsured Population).
Even under the Affordable Care Act, many uninsured people blame the high cost of insurance for their lack of coverage. In 2019, 73.7 percent of uninsured adults claimed that the cost of coverage was too high to justify. Many people do not have access to health insurance through their jobs, and some people, especially poor adults in states that did not expand Medicaid, are still ineligible for financial assistance. Undocumented immigrants are also ineligible for Medicaid and the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Who are the uninsured?
Most uninsured families have at least one wage earner. Low-income families are more likely to be uninsured. Adults are more likely to be uninsured than children, owing to the limited availability of public coverage in some states. People of color are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to be uninsured.
How are people’s health affected due to the lack of insurance?
When the uninsured seek medical help, they frequently face exorbitant medical bills. In 2019, uninsured adults under the age of 65 were more than twice as likely as those with private insurance to have had difficulty paying medical bills in the previous year. An article about a woman who works at McDonald’s and has no insurance coverage is facing cost barriers while struggling with kidney issues and type 2 diabetes. “She’s had pain for a long time, but she doesn’t usually go to the doctor unless it gets excruciating because she can’t afford to go,” (The Americans dying because they can't afford medical care, 2022). Because most uninsured people have low or moderate incomes and little, if any, savings, these bills can quickly turn into medical debt.
Author : Samrah Mohammed
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