Monday, January 5, 2009

Health Insurance Coverage Drop Linked To Economy

By Ethan Kalvin

In 2007, more Americans had health insurance than 2006. But what's the outlook for 2008? Not good, says a report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

The EBRI report detailed that the number of Americans covered by employer health plans will clearly decrease, but the number of Americans who have picked up their own health insurance coverage has risen significantly.

More and more people were able to afford their own health insurance plans this past year, a fact attributed to a stronger economy and lower unemployment rates. The Kansas City Star went on record as such.

Today, however, that is clearly not the case. With the current economic situation, unemployment is skyrocketing and there's little chance that a higher rate of the public will be able to afford their own health care coverage.

Family budgets are being strained at every turn. It is no surprise that health coverage is one of the first things to be cut, considering the high cost of gasoline and food.

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