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Who Goes Without Health Insurance?
Publish Date : 11/17/2004 10:31:00 AM   Source : Health News Onlypunjab.com

Freedom Benefits Association of Philadelphia issued the conclusions of its study that indicates that many Americans without health insurance are still not aware of the most viable coverage options available. The problem may be largely fueled by the fact that these uninsured individuals are isolated in terms of communication about health insurance benefits and because they are in a state of lifestyle transition. The solution may be better education from the private sector rather than expanded public programs. Federal law requiring continuing coverage to departing employees could be modified to provide for lower cost options and more liberal eligibility and enrollment procedures.
The number of Americans without health insurance has risen from 41 million a year ago to 45 million in the latest survey according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This figure may be somewhat misleading in that an estimated 85.2 million Americans were without health insurance for at least some small part of the past year, according to a privately funded survey by Families USA. This larger figure includes all who had a gap in coverage while changing health plans – a statistic not counted in the census bureau report. The Families USA report used data compiled and analyzed by The Lewin Group from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

A common belief is that uninsured Americans cannot afford or are not eligible for health insurance. This is not supported by the findings of the study. A closer look at the uninsured population reveals these details:

1) Over half of the uninsured are in a temporary lifestyle change – a recent graduation, job change, starting a business, moving, etc. They do not expect to remain without coverage for a long period of time.
2) Over 60% of the uninsured are associated with a small business (as opposed to having health benefits formerly being provided by a large employer).
3) The cost of health coverage is increasingly cited as a reason for not carrying insurance, yet the actual cost of issued interim health insurance coverage is less than half of the amount paid by employers. The monthly cost of family health coverage in 2003 provided by employers was $851, according to a survey conducted by the Kaiser foundation. The monthly cost of short term medical insurance issued to families was less than $350, according to the business records of Freedom Benefits Association.
4) Over a third of the uninsured come from households with incomes over $50,000.
5) Over 62% of Americans receive their health benefits through an employer plan. Employer health plans are not required to offer lower cost coverage options to departing employees. Federal law only requires that employers offer the most expensive coverage option commonly known as “COBRA coverage”.

These trends seem to confirm the theory that easiest and least intrusive way to significantly reduce the number of Americans without health insurance is educate and promote low cost health insurance options, especially to the small business community.

Freedom Benefits provides enrollment support for businesses that provide short-term health insurance and other low cost health insurance plans through MedSave.com and other online providers.

More information is available at www.FreedomBenefits.org or from Tony Novak at (877) 529-7435.