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Commerce Committee Approves Wilson Uninsured Awareness Initiative |
April 24, 2002 |
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Bill increases awareness of options for small businesses and uninsured working Americans
Washington, DC - The House Commerce Committee has approved a Wilson-sponsored resolution that would designate a National Importance of Health Care Coverage Month. During National Importance of Health Care Coverage Month, to be observed in October each year, various activities will take place throughout the country to provide information on private health coverage options as well as informing those eligible for public programs of their availability. The resolution calls for a national emphasis on education to inform working Americans how their lives can be made more secure by having health coverage.
“Approximately 40 million Americans don’t have health insurance, and that number is rising,” said Wilson. “There is no question that we need to make accessible health coverage an urgent national priority.”
By most estimates, New Mexico leads the nation in uninsured citizens. In 2000, 24% of New Mexicans did not have insurance while the national average is 14% uninsured. Unlike the rest of the country, the situation in New Mexico has only gotten worse in the last few years.
The most common reasons for lack of coverage are cost or unavailability. Some workers could receive coverage through an employer or spouse, but do not do so because of out of pocket copays or premiums that are too expensive. The Healthcare Leadership Council estimates that of the approximate 42 million uninsured, 16.7 million or 40% are in families with an employer offer of insurance, but that insurance was declined.
In addition, 17.3 million or 41.2% of the uninsured are in families connected with the workforce but have received no offer of insurance. A total of 81% of the uninsured are in families connected with the workforce. A recent survey by the Employees Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) revealed that 57 percent of small business owners did not know that health insurance is tax deductible.
“It’s clear that there is a lot of opportunity to improve our employer-based system as a way to get more Americans insured,” said Wilson. “This resolution will provide a means to help small businesses reach their goal of insuring more employees.”
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