Monday, January 5, 2009

Economy Causing Lower Health Insurance Coverages

By Ethan Kalvin

The past year shows a clear decline in health insurance coverage for Americans, according to a study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). In spite of gains in prior years, the current figures look grim.

The non-profit research organization just recently released the report which shows that the number of people covered with an employer-sponsored health insurance plan will most likely drop this year.The number of Americans with an employer's coverage has decreased since 2000, but that was matched with an increase in the number of people who found coverage in the individual health insurance market.

It has been argued that with a stronger economy earlier in the year, people were able to afford to buy their own health care coverage. The Kansas City Star suggests that a stronger economy in the past year combined with low unemployment rates allowed more workers the ability to purchase their own plans.

With today's economic situation becoming more dire by the day, unemployment is rising. And the ability of workers to purchase their own health care coverage is clearly waning.

With more mortgage failures each day, and food and gas prices through the roof, family budgets are being strained and stretched to their limits. It is no surprise that health care is one of the first things to be cut.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment