U.S. HealthCare on a Downward Spiral
U.S. Health Care Stats
· In 2006 there were 43.6 million Americans of all ages who did not have Health Insurance, or 14.8% of the population. (National Center for
Health Statistics)
· Among working-age Americans those (18-64), there were 19.8% who did not have Health Insurance in 2006, a slight increase from 18.9%
in 2005. (National Center for Health Statistics)
Health Care Decline Affects Those Who Already Struggle
Subgroups Affected Most by Health Insurance Premium Increase
The uninsured population is now slightly more likely to have the following characteristics: male, Hispanic, foreign-born non citizen,
lower-income, and adult dependent (whether working or not working).
Uninsured workers are now more likely to be employed in small
firms, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, construction, and service industries, and on a part-time or part-year basis.
However, the overall
change in the uninsured population is minor (less than 1 percentage point) and these changes in the distribution of the uninsured population
are slight at best. (Employee Benefit Research Institute)
Hitting the Street and GROWING!
Usage of Limited Health Benefit Plans
According to a 2005 survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational trust, about 20% of
employers offer a mini-med plan.
Large employers such as Target Corp, Choice Hotels, International Paper and ConAgra Foods have
realized the value of such plans. Also, employers are seeing a rise in health care participation by offering a mini-med plan.
For example,
Ratner Companies, an operator of nearly 1,000 hair-salon chains with 14,000 stylists, had a 13% participation rate in its comprehensive
medical plan. Once the mini-med option was provided, participation jumped to 70%.
Working Together Hand in Hand
Employer and Employee Limited Health Relationship Could be Beneficial
Mini-meds are a popular solution to the rising cost of health care for employers with part-time, seasonal and other hourly employees. And
as employers nationwide are increasingly forced to cut health benefits in order to keep overall costs down, mini meds have become another
way for them to meet budget constraints without losing employees. (Best’s Review Jan. 06)
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