Monday, May 10, 2010
The recent recession exacerbated the problem of Americans without health insurance, as rising unemployment forced many who were insured through their jobs to lose medical coverage. A study from the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows the percentage of the U.S.
population (excluding seniors) with employment-based coverage went from 61.3% in May 2007 down to 58.2% by July 2009. Concurrently, the uninsured rate rose during the same period from 12.3% to 16.4%.
The details of benefits packages also changed, Between 2005 and 2008, deductibles in large firms increased 88%, from an average of $254 to $478, while the average deductible in small firms (under 200 employees) jumped 122%, from $469 to $1,040. Co-payments for office visits and prescription drugs have also been increasing, a trend that began before the recession hit.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
The Impact of the Recession on Employment-Based Health Coverage (by Paul Fronstin, Employee Benefit Research Institute) (pdf)
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