Healthcare Insurance Research

Uninsured

The problem of the uninsured is one of the biggest problems we face as a nation. It also continues to grow with each passing year. The federal government estimates that 47 million people (or 15.8% of the total US population) did not have health insurance coverage in 2006, up from 15.3% the preceding year. The percentage of the non-elderly population that is uninsured has grown from 15.9% in 1994 to 17.9% in 2006. Coupled with an approximate annual increase of 7% in national healthcare spending, this combination raises grave concerns about the ability of families to obtain medical care, protect their finances, and save for retirement.

There are many myths about the uninsured. More than 8 in 10 of the uninsured live in families where the head of household works, not in families where the head of household doesn’t work. In 2006, more than 33 million of the 47 million lived above the federal poverty level. Almost 22% of the uninsured are employed with firms of 500 or more employees, meaning that everyone who works for a large employer is not guaranteed coverage.

There have been many ideas and policies put forth to address the problem of the uninsured. We can help you discover answers to the many questions surrounding the uninsured and test new ideas to address this issue.

Questions may include:

Who are the uninsured? How can we segment the uninsured?
Why do they forego healthcare insurance? Is the primary factor cost? What else impacts their behavior?
How do the uninsured handle healthcare for their children?
How does a lack of insurance affect access to healthcare services for the uninsured? How would their behavior change, if at all, if they had insurance?
How do the uninsured pay for medical care?
How and why has the number of uninsured changed? What factors have led to the increase in uninsured?
What can be done to decrease the number of uninsured?
What plans will work? What elements of coverage, other than cost, are important?
How do uninsured people with chronic conditions manage their healthcare?
What is the impact of being uninsured on preventive care? Will preventive care behavior change with coverage?
What is the impact of being uninsured on testing?
How good is the quality of care for the uninsured?
How are the uninsured managing medical debts?

To get answers to these and other questions, contact us for a proposal.