Reassuring, isn’t it? If the Republicans have their way, these numbers will be even worse:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 40 percent of Americans making between $20,000 and $40,000 a year went without insurance for at least part of the year last year, according to a study published on Tuesday.
The research by The Commonwealth Fund also found that 20 percent of working adults are paying off medical debt — often $2,000 or more — and 60 percent of uninsured adults with chronic illnesses such as heart disease skip pills to save money.
The Commonwealth Fund researchers called the 40 percent figure a “dramatic and rapid increase from 2001,” when 28 percent of people in this moderate income bracket were uninsured.
The group, which does the survey every other year, also found that 67 percent of the 48 million going without insurance were in families where at least one person worked full-time.
The numbers look too low. I have had two heart attacks and take 5 pills daily. Without health insurance, my monthly medication bill would be more than $1500/month, says my sister the Doctor. What is the liklihood that an uninsured person, taking home something under $800/week, could afford to pay for those pills?
The ONLY reason I keep my $13,000 a year job is because I have affordable health insurance. Of course, they don’t pay for any of the new drugs on the market, forcing me to either take far less effective alternatives, or pay $50 co-pays. And they wonder why so many people are just giving up….