Communicating accurate information about the uninsured is a top priority for the Illinois State Association of Health Underwriters. The uninsured are a diverse group and should be viewed that way.
Research has shown that many of the uninsured are eligible for public programs but are not signed up. Further, these days there are a number of government-sponsored medical assistance programs that define as eligible families with household incomes of up to as much as 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (that's a monthly income of about $4,000 for a family of three)! There is no lack of government assistance already available, but, in many cases, the public simply does not know anything about some of the programs that are available.
In order to 1) help the uninsured with at least basic medical assistance and 2) work toward reducing the number of uninsured, it is important for consumers, lawmakers, policymakers, and the business community get together on this issue and develop an understanding of how the current private and public programs already work and relate to each other. Once one has a grasp of the overall health care financing landscape it should be easier, then, to determine where gaps exist and how to best address them.
Research
- The Uninsured: A Study of Health Plan Initiatives and the Lessons Learned
National Institution for Health Care Management, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Census Bureau
http://www.nihcm.org/UninsuredES.pdf
- How Many People Lack Health Insurance and for How Long?
Congressional Budget Office
http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=4210&sequence=1
- The Uninsured in
U.S. Census Bureau, 2002; Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
http://bcbshealthissues.com/relatives/20464.pdf
- To Buy or Not to Buy: A Profile of
California HealthCare Foundation, The Field Research Corporation
http://www.chcf.org/documents/insurance/uninsuredprofile.pdf
- Coverage Matters: Insurance and Health Care
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
http://books.nap.edu/books/0309076099/html/59.html#pagetop
Other Helpful Information
The Foundation for Health Coverage Education
National Association of Health Underwriters
Illinois State Association of Health Underwriters (originally published February, 2005; 3rd revision - March, 2008)
