Washington, D.C.-The campaign to expand healthcare coverage to all Americans took a big hit this summer. New data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that the population without healthcare coverage grew by more than 1 million people in 2005 compared with the previous year. Even though more individuals actually had insurance coverage in 2005 (247.3 million, up from 245.9 million in 2004), the percentage of uninsured rose from 15.6% in 2003 to 2004 to the current 15.9%.
WASHINGTON, D.C.-The campaign to expand healthcare coverage to all Americans took a big hit this summer. New data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that the population without healthcare coverage grew by more than 1 million people in 2005 compared with the previous year. Even though more individuals actually had insurance coverage in 2005 (247.3 million, up from 245.9 million in 2004), the percentage of uninsured rose from 15.6% in 2003 to 2004 to the current 15.9%.
The trend is particularly troubling in a year of economic growth and rising employment. The percent of uninsured had been falling in previous years after peaking at 16.3% in 1998, but now is inching back up.
Enrollment in Medicare, Medicaid and other government health programs remains steady. But the percentage and number of children without health insurance increased between 2004 and 2005; 8.3 million people younger than age 18 lacked coverage last year-a trend that reflects a slowdown in growth for state programs providing coverage for children.
A related development is that employment-based insurance continues to decrease, from 59.8% of those with coverage to 59.5% in 2005. A substantial portion of the increase in the uninsured was among working adults, aged 18 to 64 years, a trend indicating that fewer employees have access to health coverage on the job. While most large employers continue to provide benefits, many workers find health plans unaffordable because of higher premiums and copays. The push for high-deductible plans and health savings accounts does not seem to address these problems, as broad coverage mandates set by states continue to make coverage costly in many areas.
Bridging the Diversity Gap in Rare Disease Clinical Trials with Harsha Rajasimha of IndoUSrare
November 8th 2023Briana Contreras, an editor with Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Harsha Rajasimha, MD, founder and executive chairman of IndoUSrare, in this month's episode of Tuning in to the C-Suite podcast. The conversation was about how the disparity in diversity and ethnicity in rare disease clinical trials in the U.S. has led to gaps in understanding diseases and conditions, jeopardizing universal health, and increasing the economic burden of healthcare.
Listen
Managing Editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, Peter Wehrwein, had a discussion with William Shrank, M.D., a venture partner with Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm in Menlo Park, California, about how artificial intelligence's role is improving healthcare, where we are today with value-based care and the ongoing efforts of reducing waste in the healthcare space for this episode of the "What's on Your Mind" podcast series.
Listen
Air Pollution May Negatively Affect Male Reproductive Health
November 30th 2023A potential mechanism by which air pollutants may affect reproductive health is by endocrine disruption. Air pollutants are made up of mixtures of particulate matter that may include endocrine disruptors, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals.
Read More
35th World AIDS Day Marks 20 Years of PEPFAR: Challenges and Strategies to Combat HIV/AIDS
November 29th 2023PEPFAR, having invested $100 billion and saved 25 million lives in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, faces Congressional hurdles in its reauthorization due to abortion debates. Despite widespread support and no evidence of abortion-related activities, the legislative process is at a standstill. Members of PEPFAR and authors of a recent editorial stress the significance of PEPFAR and advocate for integrating behavioral and social science into healthcare programs to achieve UNAIDS targets and address barriers in HIV/AIDS testing and treatment.
Read More