Chamber Calls Number of Uninsured a Solvable Problem

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Chamber of Commerce said the continued increase in the number of Americans without health insurance coverage was a problem with solutions that are already in the pipeline.

"Today's news that the number of uninsured Americans totaled 45 million in 2003 is a tragedy in that real solutions already exist," said Kate Sullivan Hare, Chamber executive director of health policy. "More Americans and more employers need access to real options rather than more political debate."

The U.S. Census Bureau released new data on the number of uninsured Americans that shows an increase of 1.4 million uninsured people in 2003. Slightly fewer Americans purchased coverage on their own, while the number of people working full-time without health coverage grew by an additional 725,000 people. In total, the number of insured workers dropped by 1.5 million from 2002 to 2003.

"The most recent numbers from 2003 may be higher than the current reality, since they do not include gains from new laws such as Health Savings Accounts and health care liability reforms in some states, as well as a moderation this year in health care inflation," Sullivan Hare noted.

"But more can – and should be – done to make health coverage affordable for employers and workers."

The Chamber supports pooled purchasing through Association Health Plans for small businesses – along with equitable tax treatment for individuals who purchase their own health coverage and tax credits targeted to those with modest incomes – as the best tools to make health coverage more available and affordable. The Chamber opposes efforts to add new mandates and expand employers' liability for the health coverage they voluntarily provide to their workforce.

"Small businesses have been hit particularly hard by successive years of double-digit increases in health care costs," emphasized Sullivan Hare. "Congress and the administration must create more employer options for health plans and give those who purchase coverage on their own the same tax advantages as those who receive it through their jobs."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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