Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Survey: 57 percent of people in low-income families have no health insurance

The Commonwealth Fund today released the results of a new survey on the uninsured. Among the group's findings:
  • 57 percent of people in low-income families (those earning less than about $30,000 for a family of 4) had no health insurance at some point last year.
  • 35 percent have been uninsured for two years or more.
  • Among moderate-income adults (about $30,000 to $56,000 for a family of 4), some 36 percent of adults in those families were uninsured during the past year.
None of this should come as a surprise. We do our own report on the uninsured in Washington state, and income is by far the largest factor correlated to being uninsured. The less you make, the more likely it is that you don't have health insurance.

We've also found that in most income brackets, the younger you are, the more likely that you're uninsured. See the report link above for more data and details.