The Census Bureau's latest estimate reveals that the number and percentage of Americans without health insurance increased by 1.4 million from 43.6 million (15.2%) in 2002 to 45 million (15.6%) in 2003. Overall in 2003, 174 million Americans (60.4%) received coverage through an employer-based health plan, compared with 175.3 million (61.3%) in 2002. The rate has been declining over the past several years due to rising costs. Approximately 60% of the uninsured are employed by small businesses or are dependent on someone who is.

 

Preliminary results of an annual survey of nearly 3,000 employers by Mercer Human Resources Consulting indicates that the total cost of heath care benefits per employee will rise an average of 9.6% next year. Many employers are reportedly dealing with rising costs by raising workers' deductibles and co-payments, cutting back overall benefits, limiting the number of plans they offer workers, and reducing or phasing out retiree coverage.  
 
The U.S. Chamber is calling for action by Congress and the administration to deal with this worsening problem. The Chamber supports pooled purchasing through Association Health Plans (AHPs) 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.
 
Bills creating AHPs, tax credits to help individuals -- especially workers with lower incomes -- purchase insurance, and medical liability reform have repeatedly passed the House but remain deadlocked in the Senate.