Growing gap between health insurance haves and have nots
31 03 08 - 14:57
The gap in health security is widening between low and high income Americans and between those covered by health insurance and those who are uninsured, according to findings from a national survey paid for by Catholic Healthcare West.
Highlights:
. There was a 50 percent jump in the number of respondents that cited affordable healthcare for all as the single most important healthcare challenge facing the nation today (from 22 percent in 2007 to 33 percent in 2008).
. Democrats (34 percent), Republicans (32 percent) and Independents (39 percent) say affordability is the most important healthcare challenge.
. The uninsured are more than three times as likely to have to choose between basic necessities and healthcare.
. Nearly one-fifth of U.S. adults (18 percent) report they are likely to stay at home for a non-urgent health condition (up from 7 percent in 2007).
The survey found that fewer of the uninsured say they feel secure about their healthcare (27 percent, down from 32 percent in 2007), while the privately insured have experienced no change (62 percent).
Only 36 percent of those earning under $35,000 agree they will be "okay" financially if they come down with a serious illness (39 percent in 2007), while 74 percent of those earning over $75,000 are in agreement (up from 69 percent in 2007).
"The security divide is growing between the haves and the have nots," says Lloyd Dean, Catholic Healthcare West president and chief executive officer.
Healthcare affordability is directly linked to employment status, the survey says, and this year there is more anxiety surrounding job loss (48 percent are worried about losing their job, up from 44 percent in 2007). Seven out of ten (70 percent) of those employed are unsure if they could afford health insurance if they lost their job. Additionally, the employed are becoming more reliant on insurance coverage for peace of mind (76 percent, up from 71 percent).
The findings also show that those without health insurance are more than three times as likely as those with insurance to have had to choose between paying for basic necessities and healthcare (58 percent of the uninsured have had to make this choice in the past year compared to 17 percent of those with insurance).
Support for universal healthcare remains strong, though it hasn't grown since last year, according to the survey. Today, seven out of ten (69 percent) Americans believe the time has come for universal healthcare in America (down from 72 percent in 2007).
Democrats are much more supportive than Republicans (84 percent vs. 45 percent) of this idea, while 67 percent of Independents support it.
"The growing divide between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' in our country is not insurmountable," says Steve Bodhaine, president of The Segmentation Company, the division of Yankelovich Inc. that conducted the survey.
Results are based on completed surveys of 1,151 adults nationwide who participated in a 20-minute telephone interview. Interviewing took place in February 2008. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.