Washington, D.C., April 27, 2006
– As a national supporter of Cover the Uninsured Week, the American Public Health Association (APHA) today expressed alarm that nearly 46 million Americans -- 15.7 percent of the total U.S. population in 2004, an increase from 15.6 percent in 2003 -- lack insurance coverage of any kind for an entire year. Nationally, 41.1 percent of adults without health insurance coverage, compared with 9.2 percent of adults with insurance coverage, could not afford to see a doctor when needed in the past year, according to a new report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
"In the wealthiest industrialized nation, it is unfathomable that nearly 46 million Americans have no health insurance, including more than 8 million children," said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, executive director of the American Public Health Association. "This staggering statistic reflects the health risks facing millions across the spectrum of society and socioeconomic status. Solving this crisis should be a top priority for our elected leaders, and APHA is committed to working toward comprehensive health care coverage for all Americans.”
People without health insurance do not receive routine preventive health services, receive too little medical care too late, are sicker and die sooner and receive poorer care when they are hospitalized. Insurance coverage becomes even more critical for uninsured older Americans who rely on vital health screenings for chronic illnesses such as cancer and diabetes. About one in six adults age 50-64 is uninsured -- a total of 7 million people, according to recent figures.
Studies also find that while the lack of insurance continues to be highest among lower-income families, uninsured rates for moderate- and middle-income earners and their families continue to climb. The percentage of working-age Americans with incomes between $20,000 and $40,000 a year who lacked health insurance for at least part of the year rose to 41 percent in 2005, a dramatic increase from the 28 percent in 2001 without coverage, according to The Commonwealth Fund.
“This is a national problem that affects the health of a broad cross section of Americans,” Benjamin said. “Access to care is a right, not a privilege, to which every person is entitled.”
To address the growing crisis of the uninsured, APHA supports legislative measures that are congruent with the Association’s 14 points on universal health care, available at www.apha.org/legislative/issues/14points.htm. Included among these points is a call for the following:
- Universal coverage for everyone in the United States with comprehensive benefits, affordable prices and quality services;
- Attention to the organization, staffing, delivery and payment of care to the needs of all populations, including those confronting geographic, physical, cultural, language and other non-financial barriers to service.
More information about Cover the Uninsured Week is available at www.CovertheUninsured.org.