They also may be moving onto or off the rolls of a public program, such as Medicaid or the new State Children's Health Insurance Program. Ironically, the strength of our economy and new work arrangements also are contributing to the number of people without health insurance. More and more people are finding that they can bring their skills to the marketplace to start small companies or work under contract for a number of firms, but these new ways of working may not be in the context of a job that provides health insurance. As I mentioned, we do have a very strong safety net in the U.S. - both official and unofficial. If hospitals take any Medicare or Medicaid money, they are obligated to provide treatment for anybody who needs care, whether they have health insurance or not.
People come to the hospital, and they receive treatment.
They may receive a bill, but some simply cannot pay. Others pay what they can, and still others learn when they do present for medical treatment that they do in fact qualify for a public program, and they are enrolled. This is not a good system, but it does provide an unofficial safety net. President Clinton proposed, in his most recent budget, to address the uninsured problem by adding more Americans to the rolls of existing government programs. He wants to extend Medicare down to those aged 55.