National Health Insurance Statistics: Uninsured Americans

The health insurance industry in the United States is vast. In fact, the United States spends about $2 trillion dollars per year on health care costs. Despite this fact, many people in the United States do not have health insurance. Statistics reveal the true depth of this problem.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2006 alone, about 47 million people did not have health insurance. That was 15.8% of the population. Of the people who did have health insurance that year, only 9.1% of the coverage was purchased privately. 27% of the coverage was government-funded. Significantly, however, almost 60% of the coverage was purchased through an employer.

These numbers emphasize that many people cannot afford health insurance. Of people surveyed in 2005 without insurance, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) found that 50% said they did not have health insurance because it was too expensive. Another 24% said they did not have health insurance because they lost their original job. In addition, 10% said that they were no longer receiving Medicaid benefits, and 8% had become ineligible for family insurance.

In addition, the NCHS also found that about 40 million people said they did not receive a variety of health care services because they could not afford them. Such services included, although were not limited to, dental care, prescription drugs, and eyeglasses. Another frightening statistic, as the Health Affairs Journal has discovered, is that almost half of all bankruptcy filings in the United States are caused by health care expenditures.

Contact Option 1 Health Insurance

Despite these grim statistics, 85% of the United States population still has health insurance. If you are searching for health insurance in Texas, understandably you want a policy that is both affordable and useful. To find a Texas health insurance plans that meets your needs, contact Option 1 Health Insurance today.