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The Uninsured and Their Access to Health Care
Today, 44 million Americans are without health
insurance coverage. Having health insurance makes a substantial difference in the amount and kind of health care people are able to obtain and ultimately can make a difference in how healthy people are. The
uninsured are mostly under the age of 65 because almost all elderly Americans have Medicare coverage. Most Americans receive health insurance coverage through their employers, but millions lack coverage because their employer
does not offer it or they cannot afford to pay for it. Medicaid covers many low-income people, but many more do not meet the income and eligibility criteria and are left uninsured. Between 1988 and 1998, the number of
uninsured grew by an average of one million per year.
