Health care costs are skyrocketing
Health care cost increases are easily outpacing wages. These rising costs make it difficult for small businesses to provide basic coverage, and corporations are shifting the growing burdern directly to their employees, leaving many Americans without affordable coverage.
• In 2005, employer health insurance premiums increased by 9.2% - nearly three times the rate of inflation. Under an employer health plan, the annual premium for a family of four averaged nearly $11,000. For single coverage it's over $4,000. In 2006, it will have cost about $13,382 - a 9.6% increase over 2005.
• In 2004, national health expenditures rose 7.9% - over three times the rate of inflation. Total spending in 2004 was $1.9 trillion. That's 16% of the GDP and $6,280 per person.
• By 2015, it is projected that annual spending on health care will skyrocket to 4 trillion dollars - 20% of the GDP. This means: Americans will spend $421 billion of their own money, up from $248. billion in 2005; Prescription drug spending is expected to reach $446 billion, up from $188 billion in 2004; Medicare spending will reach $792 billion, up from $309 billion in 2004; Medicaid spending will reach $320 billion, up from $293 billion in 2004.
47 million Americans have no health care
The number of uninsured Americans has escalated from 41.2 million in 2001 to 47 million in 2006.
• Every minute, nearly 3 people lose their health insurance in the U.S.
• Nearly 91 million people went without coverage for part of the last two years. This equates to a third of the entire U.S. population.
• 81% of those without health insurance come from working families.
• 8.3 million children in America have no health insurance.
• At least 18,000 Americans dies every year solely because they cannot afford private health insurance. Odds are the number of deaths is even higher.
Employer-based coverage has decreased
• Between 2000 and 2005, the percentage of employers offering health benefits has fallen from 69% to 60%, with the decline occurring predominantly among small firms (3-199 workers). Costs for employers with 3 to 199 workers jumped about 10% last year from 2004, higher than the 9% bump for those with 200 or more.
• The percentage of workers covered by health insurance offered through their own employer has fallen from 63% of workers in 2000 to 60% in 2005.
The crisis affects everyone
The scope of the health care crisis is reaching record proportions and touches the lives of Americans from all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, income, education, employment, or age.
• 33% of Hispanics living in the U.S. are uninsured.
• 20% of African-Americans and 17% of Asians are uninsured, compared to 15% of Caucasians.
• 22% of the uninsured are in families with incomes of $50,000 and over.
• 3.9 million people aged 55-64 were uninsured in 2004.
• 8 out of 10 uninsured women are in families with at least one person in the workforce, either part-time or full-time. 2/3 of uninsured women (65%) are in families with at least on adult working full-time. Just 20% of uninusred women are in non-working families.
Small businesses and the self-employed can't afford health care
More than 25 million Americans own a small business. But since small businesses and the self-employed aren't able to purchase insurance as cheaply as large corporations, rising health costs are making it increasingly difficult for them to afford basic health coverage for their employees and families.
• Less than half of small businesses offer health insurance.
• Workers in small firms are 3 times as likely to be uninsured as workers in large firms.
In Nevada:
• 496,000 Nevadans don't have health insurance.
• 36% of Hispanics are uninsured.
• 16% of Caucasians are uninsured.
• 12% of Asians are uninsured.
• 21% of women in Nevada are uninsured.
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