Employer Based Health Care Coverage Continues to Decline
Instead of the United States joining the rest of the world an providing single-payer, government administered health care for all, we are still stuck with employer based health care coverage, which, of course, is lost when a worker switches jobs, unless the new employer provides coverage.
It's a truly imperfect, tenuous system.
Last month I wrote the following posting titled: "Employer Health Coverage; A Failing Sytem Providing Less Coverage at Higher Costs."
"The US lags far behind in health care coverage.
"Unlike other industrialized nations which have single payer, government administered health care, the US relies on employer based, for profit, private insurance health care coverage, that has been less than optimum getting worse for those American who rely on workplace health care coverage.
"The United States, after more than fifty years since the Truman administration's single payer, government administered health care coverage failed to pass a reactionary Republican controlled Congress, needs to join the family of industrialized nation and a Democratic controlled Congress must pass HR 676, Medicare for All. Better a half century late than never."
J. Sid 'unfit for the presidency'" McSame, the multimillionaire who has been covered his entire life by governement provided health care, wants to tax employer based health care coverage, for the first time ever.
What a reptilian hypocrite he is!
But there may be fewer employer based plans.
A study by the University of California Labor Center (PDF) states that there is a continued decline in employer based health care with the greatest concentration among lower and middle class families meaning increased uninsurance for adults and child coverage taken up by public coverage.
The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) says: "The majority of states experienced significant declines in employer-sponsored coverage this decade. A new analysis of the under-65 population documents the variation in both the level and extent of coverage lost between 2000-01 and 2006-07. Forty-one states experienced significant losses in coverage across every region of the United States. South Carolina, Missouri, North Carolina, and Maryland experienced losses in excess of 7 percentage points, while no state experienced an increase."
Rather than fiddling around with half measures, an Obama administration needs to support HR 676, Medicare for All. It's the best and most effective solution to the health care crisis.
If you believe that health care is a human right, it's the wise and moral solution. It's time America joined the rest of the industrialized nations of the world in providing single payer, government administered, universal health care even a half century late.
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