They simply can't afford it. In addition, small businesses continue to struggle to pay for health insurance. As the price of health insurance has risen, many businesses have required employees to pay a larger share of the costs. A growing number of workers have opted not to buy coverage because the cost is too high. One recent study calculated that 6 million fewer people took health insurance from their employer in 1996 than in 1987.
Small firms are also more likely today to require workers to pay a greater portion of the cost.
More are also self-employed. Such workers are less likely to be offered or able to afford health insurance. Job growth in recent years has been mostly in service industries, such as the hotel or restaurant business. These businesses are less likely to offer or pay for health insurance than the manufacturing sector of the economy. Contrary to popular belief, most people who lack health insurance work or have family members who work.