Government
Without system reform, millions more will be uninsured, report says
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 5, 2009
The number of uninsured Americans would increase from 46.3 million in 2008 to 53.1 million in 2014 and 57 million in 2019 under the best-case scenario in an unreformed health system, according to a recent study.
Under a worst-case scenario, 57.7 million people would be uninsured in 2014 and 65.7 million in 2019, states an analysis by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute released on Sept. 30. The report gives state-by-state predictions on insurance coverage, public program enrollment and health spending (link).
The worst case assumes slow income growth and high increases in health care costs. The best case would happen with a 5.1% unemployment rate, faster income growth and slower hikes in health costs.
"Now is the time to act, because delaying reform makes the problem worse," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's president and CEO.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/10/05/gvbf1005.htm.
