Lack of health insurances
- Inadequate medical insurance coverage
- Increase in numbers of uninsured
Incidence
In 1995 there were 43.4 million Americans without health insurance. That number had been increasing at an annual rate of 1.2 million, and was expected to rise to as many as 9 million Americans by 2002. Those without health insurance come from all backgrounds, but more and more they tend to be from the working poor. In 1991, when about 14% of the USA population, was without health insurance, about 11% of whites were uninsured, 32% of Hispanics, and 21% of blacks.
In 1990, the main issue in 83% of all labour negotiations and 78% of all strikes in the USA was the shifting of health costs from the employer to workers. Another factor in decreasing employee health cover is that more company health plans refuse to insure individuals or their family members who are at medical risk.