Insuring the Uninsured: Will the 2004 Election Provide an Answer?
Authors: Thomas Bodenheimer
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2004)

Medicine and Public Issues5 October 2004Insuring the Uninsured: Will the 2004 Election Provide an Answer?Thomas Bodenheimer, MDThomas Bodenheimer, MDFrom the University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-7-200410050-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail A June 2004 report revealed startling new statistics on uninsured Americans (1). A total of 82 million Americans—1 of 3 people younger than 65 years of age—were uninsured at some point during 2002–2003 (1). Conducted by the well-regarded Lewin Group, the study found that two thirds of the 82 million were uninsured for 6 months or more, with half lacking coverage for at least 9 months. These figures, based on U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey data, are far higher than the commonly cited number of 43.6 million uninsured for the entire calendar year 2002 (2).Despite these findings, proposals ...References1. One in Three: Non-Elderly Americans Without Health Insurance, 2002-2003. Washington, DC: Families USA Foundation; June 2004. Google Scholar2. Mills RJ, Bhandan S. Health Insurance Coverage in the United States, 2002. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau; September 2003. Google Scholar3. Blendon RJ, Benson JM, DesRoches CM. Americans' views of the uninsured: an era for hybrid proposals. Health Aff. Web Exclusive. 27 August 2003. 10.1377/hlthaff.w3.405. Accessed at content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w3.405v1/DC1 on 1 August 2004. Google Scholar4. Oberlander J. The politics of health reform: why do bad things happen to good plans? Health Aff. Web Exclusive. 27 August 2003. 10.377/hlthaff.W3.391. 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[PMID: 12915433] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Thomas Bodenheimer, MDAffiliations: From the University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.Disclosures: None disclosed.Corresponding Author: Thomas Bodenheimer, MD, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Building 80-83, San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110; e-mail, [email protected]ucsf.edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byProtecting and Enhancing Health: Community Engagement, Collaborations, and Incentives for PreventionChanges in the Incidence and Duration of Periods without InsuranceHealth Care Access in Three Nations: Canada, Insured America, and Uninsured America 5 October 2004Volume 141, Issue 7Page: 556-561KeywordsChildrenDrugsHealth careHealth insuranceHospital medicineInsuranceMedical servicesMedicarePrevention, policy, and public healthTaxes ePublished: 5 October 2004 Issue Published: 5 October 2004 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2004 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...