Swift action needed for all American uninsured, American Public Health Association
29 Aug 2004
The American Public Health Association responded today to the U.S. Census Bureau’s alarming report that the number of uninsured and Americans living in poverty both rose in 2003. The Census Bureau reported that the number of uninsured Americans rose by 1.4 million to 15.6 percent, or 45 million, in 2003, up from 15.2 percent in 2002, the third straight annual increase. Meanwhile, the nation’s poverty rate also climbed to 12.5 percent last year, from 12.1 percent in 2002.
The Census Bureau largely attributed the decline in insurance coverage rates to the drop in coverage from employment-based health plans, partially offset by increases in government health coverage. Employment-based health insurance coverage fell 0.9 percentage points between 2002 and 2003, while Medicare coverage increased 0.2 percentage points.
Article from Medical News Today