Why are so many people without Health Insurance?

In the state of Ohio alone, more than 1.4 million people were uninsured in 2005.ⁱ Some seem to believe that the uninsured are lazy and would rather not work. Others believe that people are uninsured because they would rather use their money to pay for other items. According to a June 2004 report from Families USA, four out of five persons without health insurance are employed or belong to a family in which at least one adult is working. In fact there are many reasons that people go without health insurance. Often, these reasons are not the fault of the individual. For instance, people are not always able to afford coverage that is offered by an employer or their employer cannot afford to offer health coverage to their employees. Also, some people have lost their jobs or earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private insurance.ⁱⁱ We Are the Uninsured aims to bust the negative myths that are associated with being uninsured, and advocate that Health Care is a Right, Not a Privilege!

i. Families USA. (June 2005). Paying a premium: The added cost of care for the uninsured. Washington: Author.
ii. Stoll, K. & Jones, K. (June 2004). One in three: Non-elderly Americans without health insurance, 2002-2003. Washington: Families USA.

What is Advocacy?

Advocacy is:

• When an individual or group works to help themselves and promote social justice for all
• Allowing all people to be represented even if they cannot represent themselves
• Getting yourself and your issue known

Advocacy helps someone to:

• Recognize their voice!
• Understand their potential!
• Use their potential!
• Educate on an issue or cause

Who should advocate for issues important to them?

All members of the society should be involved and participate in their government.

• We hired our government officials and we pay their salary! We can be courteous and assertive.
• Those in power need to know:
• Who you are
• What information you can provide
• How the issue impacts your life
• This helps them do their job and gives you a platform to get your needs and the needs of your community met.

Types of Advocacy

• Letter writing
• Emails
• Testimony
• Phone Call
• Face to Face meeting/conversation
• Legislative events

The Cost of Being Uninsured

Uninsured people rarely receive health care when they need it and approximately half of all uninsured adults with chronic conditions (such as diabetes or asthma) go without the medical care or medication they need because they cannot afford the cost. Uninsured adults are also 3 to 4 times more likely to go without health care services like breast cancer or high blood pressure screening. Each year in the United States the deaths of 18,000 people can be linked to the fact that they did not have health insurance.

When a person's health becomes so bad that they can no longer delay seeing a doctor, who pays for their care? The person pays what they can out of their own pocket. The hospital or clinic also pays by absorbing the cost that a patient cannot pay. This can be done by offering patients care at a reduced cost, or by writing off the payments that are not collected. The state government also has some monies to pay for the health care of the uninsured, yet this is a very small amount compared to the cost of care. These state monies are partially funded by taxpayers. Society pays in other ways as well. Preventative care would allow an individual the chance to maintain a healthy lifestyle, avoiding lengthly hospital stays or worse.

Uninsured adults are four times more likely to use emergency rooms as their regular source of care - the most expensive setting. Part of the cost for this care is shifted to those with insurance, in the form of higher insurance premiums. The rest is absorbed by the clinic or hospital - limiting health care services for everyone.