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Why Costs are Rising
The Uninsured
Approximately 41 million Americans are uninsured – almost 15% of
our population*.
Who are the uninsured? It might
surprise you to find out that the uninsured come from all walks of life.
The impact of the uninsured on health insurance premium costs is felt
in three specific areas:
- As health care costs continue to rise, many healthy people feel they
can get along without coverage and simply drop their health insurance
to save money. With fewer healthier people in the health insurance pool,
overall premiums rise for those who are covered.
- When the uninsured get sick, they often delay treatment until their
condition worsens, and then go to the emergency
room – rather than to a doctor’s office – for
care. Unpaid costs for services are passed on to others, which raises
the cost of health care for everyone.
- Some health care providers engage in what is called “cost shifting”.
This means that providers charge higher fees to those who are insured
to make up for the fees they cannot collect for the same services.
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