[HM2Viking]

From EPI: http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm?id=2502

More Americans are uninsured because of the continued erosion in employer-provided health insurance, the most prominent form of U.S. health insurance. The number of people without health insurance grew significantly for the fifth year in a row. Nearly 46.6 million Americans were uninsured in 2005—up almost 7 million since 2000. The rate of those without insurance has grown 1.7 percentage points during this period, from 14.2% in 2000 to 15.9% in 2005.

The percent of people with employer-provided health insurance also fell for the fifth year in a row, 4.1 percentage points in total. Over 3 million fewer people of all ages had employer-provided insurance in 2005 than in 2000 as a result of rising health costs coupled with weak labor demand. However, this decline does not take into account population growth. As many as 9 million more people would have had employer-provided health insurance in 2005 if the coverage rate had remained at the 2000 level.
Because of these large declines in employer-provided health insurance, workers and their families have been falling into the ranks of the uninsured at alarming rates. There were almost 4 million more uninsured workers in 2005 than in 2000. While uninsured workers are disproportionately young, non-white, less educated, and low-wage, workers across the socio-economic spectrum have experienced losses in coverage. Men lost coverage at nearly twice the rate of women, as did non-Hispanic whites over blacks. Even the most highly educated and highest wage workers had lower rates of insurance coverage in 2005 than in 2000.

More Americans are uninsured because of the continued erosion in employer-provided health insurance, the most prominent form of U.S. health insurance. The number of people without health insurance grew significantly for the fifth year in a row. Nearly 46.6 million Americans were uninsured in 2005—up almost 7 million since 2000. The rate of those without insurance has grown 1.7 percentage points during this period, from 14.2% in 2000 to 15.9% in 2005.

The percent of people with employer-provided health insurance also fell for the fifth year in a row, 4.1 percentage points in total. Over 3 million fewer people of all ages had employer-provided insurance in 2005 than in 2000 as a result of rising health costs coupled with weak labor demand. However, this decline does not take into account population growth. As many as 9 million more people would have had employer-provided health insurance in 2005 if the coverage rate had remained at the 2000 level.
Because of these large declines in employer-provided health insurance, workers and their families have been falling into the ranks of the uninsured at alarming rates. There were almost 4 million more uninsured workers in 2005 than in 2000. While uninsured workers are disproportionately young, non-white, less educated, and low-wage, workers across the socio-economic spectrum have experienced losses in coverage. Men lost coverage at nearly twice the rate of women, as did non-Hispanic whites over blacks. Even the most highly educated and highest wage workers had lower rates of insurance coverage in 2005 than in 2000.