The 2007-09 recession and health insurance coverage.
Loss of employment and declining incomes meant that five million Americans lost employment-based health insurance during the recent economic recession (2007-09). All groups of Americans were affected, but the growth in the number of uninsured people was particularly noticeable for whites, native-born citizens, and residents of the Midwest and South. Adults did not benefit nearly as much as children from public programs designed to offset the decline in employer-sponsored insurance and thus bore all of the burden of rising uninsurance. Throughout the past decade, even in good economic times, the number of Americans with employer-sponsored insurance has fallen, and the number of uninsured Americans has increased. This finding underscores the importance of planned coverage expansions under the Affordable Care Act.
Urban Institute Health Policy Center, Washington, DC, USA. jholahan@ui.urban.org
John
J
Holahan
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D057172:Economic Recession; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics*; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014478:Unemployment; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult