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Report on Uninsured Tries to Reverse Myths
Brian Vastag
JAMA. 2001;286:2223-2224.
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Washington—Saying that the jumble of health insurance schemes in the United States "functions more like a sieve than a safety net," the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report that paints a bleak picture of the nation's uninsured. Nearly 18% of the country lacks health coverage—some 32 million to 42 million people, a number exceeding the combined populations of Texas, Florida, and Connecticut.
The insurance gap hits working families (those with at least one worker) particularly hard, according to the report. A full 80% of uninsured persons under age 65 live in working families; many survive on low wages from service jobs. Families with two wage earners fare better, but 10% of those lack coverage.
While the proportion of uninsured dropped in 1999 and 2000, it is expected to rise again due to ballooning costs. "More than the state of the economy, the rising cost of health . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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