Daily News Updates - Health Insurance News

Cover the Uninsured

Our nation's dismal state of health insurance coverage has become one of the foremost concerns for millions of Americans. This week as our nation assesses this "Cover the Uninsured Week", great scrutiny is being placed on our presidential candidates. The purpose of this momentous movement is to bring out the seriousness of such a large percentage living in such a wealthy country, yet can't afford health insurance, and to "shed light on our nation's broken health care system" as Kirsten Running-Marquardt points out. All week concerned citizen groups such as Americans for Health Care are holding events to resolve ways to help the 47 million Americans that don't have health insurance.

It would seem critical in these times to seek resolve where it may be found. One key area should be the hope in those "at the top" -- those in the best position to effect the best resolve, such as our presidential candidates. Although little is hitting the news today focusing on health insurance proposals featuring Hillary or Barack, news concerning John McCain's health insurance proposals seems to be everywhere. After three or four days of this, a general consensus is forming.

Many believe that McCain's plan would actually make it harder to get health insurance. The problem is that most Americans get health insurance coverage through their workplace. As health care costs steadily increase, the steep trend is for these businesses to decline to offer health coverage any longer. They simply can't afford it. In addition, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has determined that "from 2001 to 2005 health insurance premiums have increase 30 percent for American families that receive their health insurance from their employer, while the average income for those families only increased by three percent in the same time period".