Health Coverage & the Uninsured - Research, Public Opinion, Facts & Analysis

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Health Coverage in an Economic Downturn: Impact of Tight Budgets for Families and States
The economic downturn has strained family finances and led some Americans to cut back on medical care. The Foundation has a number of resources that shed light on how Americans and states are faring and provide background on the uninsured, employer-sponsored health insurance costs and trends in states’ Medicaid enrollment and spending.

State High-Risk Pools: An Overview
This issue brief provides an overview of the primary components of state high-risk pools, discusses their benefits and challenges, and concludes with a discussion of high-risk pools in national health reform.

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Pulling it Together: When Premiums Go Up 39% -- March 2010
In his latest column, the Kaiser Family Foundation's President and CEO draws on a recent Foundation analysis to examine what happens to people in the individual insurance market when insurance companies propose large premium increases, and explains why these experiences are important to consider as part of the current health reform debate.

CHIP TIPS: Children's Oral Health Benefits -- March 2010
This brief, the sixth in a series, examines a new requirement that state CHIP programs cover comprehensive dental benefits, and other requirements and options enacted under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 that are aimed at improving the oral health of children.

Medicaid Financial Eligibility: Primary Pathways for the Elderly and People with Disabilities -- February 2010

This issue brief details the various eligibility pathways by which individuals with disabilities and the elderly can qualify for Medicaid coverage. The program provides health coverage to nearly 60 million Americans, including 8.5 million with disabilities and 8.8 million low-income frail, elderly and disabled Medicare beneficiaries.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll -- February 2010 -- February 2010
This tracking poll finds the public still split on health care reform legislation, though majorities of Americans of all political leanings support several provisions in the health reform proposals in Congress and most attribute delays in passing the legislation to political gamesmanship rather than policy disagreements.

Side-by-Side Comparison of Major Health Care Reform Proposals -- February 2010
This interactive side-by-side compares the leading comprehensive health reform proposals across a number of key characteristics and plan components. Proposals for moving toward universal coverage that have been put forward by the president and members of congress are included.

Expanding Medicaid: Coverage for Low-Income Adults Under Health Reform -- February 2010

This issue brief examines the key characteristics of the 17.1 million low-income uninsured adults who might gain health coverage through Medicaid under health reform. Such adults without dependent children have historically been excluded from Medicaid.

State Fiscal Conditions & Medicaid -- February 2010

This fact sheet summarizes the relationship of Medicaid with state budgets and discusses the current fiscal situation in the states and how it is affecting Medicaid programs.

Medicaid Enrollment in the 50 States: December 2008 Data Update -- February 2010

Medicaid Enrollment in the 50 States: December 2008 Data Update

Resources Examine Medicaid Enrollment Growth And State Budget Pressures -- February 2010

This package of resources examines the record increase in Medicaid enrollment between June 2008 and June 2009 and provides a mid fiscal-year 2010 update on key state Medicaid issues, including the impacts of the economic downturn.

Medicaid Enrollment: June 2009 Data Snapshot -- February 2010

This analysis finds that there were nearly 3.3 million more people enrolled in Medicaid in June 2009 than there were the previous June, the largest ever one-year increase in absolute numbers. The increase came as economic conditions deteriorated and unemployment rose, resulting in many more people turning to Medicaid as their only source of health coverage.

In his latest column, the Kaiser Family Foundation's President and CEO draws on a recent Foundation analysis to examine what happens to people in the individual insurance market when insurance companies propose large premium increases, and explains why these experiences are important to consider as part of the current health reform debate.

This brief, the sixth in a series, examines a new requirement that state CHIP programs cover comprehensive dental benefits, and other requirements and options enacted under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 that are aimed at improving the oral health of children.

This tracking poll finds the public still split on health care reform legislation, though majorities of Americans of all political leanings support several provisions in the health reform proposals in Congress and most attribute delays in passing the legislation to political gamesmanship rather than policy disagreements.

This interactive side-by-side compares the leading comprehensive health reform proposals across a number of key characteristics and plan components. Proposals for moving toward universal coverage that have been put forward by the president and members of congress are included.

This fact sheet summarizes the relationship of Medicaid with state budgets and discusses the current fiscal situation in the states and how it is affecting Medicaid programs.

Medicaid Enrollment in the 50 States: December 2008 Data Update

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Health Coverage & The Uninsured

Lack of health insurance coverage for 46 million Americans is one of the nation's most pressing problems. While most elderly Americans have coverage through Medicare and over 60% of non-elderly Americans receive health coverage through employer-sponsored plans, many workers and their families remain uninsured because their employer does not offer coverage or they cannot afford the cost of coverage. Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) help fill in the gaps for low-income children and some of their parents, but the reach of these programs is limited. As a result, millions of Americans without health insurance face adverse health consequences because of delayed or foregone health care and extending coverage to the uninsured has become a national priority.

This section provides data and information on the uninsured population, profiling the uninsured and describing the consequences to individuals and society from lack of health insurance. Data from surveys, studies of the impact of lack of insurance, and analysis of proposals for reform are provided. These materials can help to inform the debate on how to achieve coverage for the nation's 46 million uninsured.

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured is the main source for the Foundation's work related to the uninsured population. The Commission provides analysis of the uninsured population, and the impact of lack of insurance on access to care and health status with a particular focus on the low-income population. Through its reports and briefings, the Commission provides up-to-date information on the number and characteristics of the uninsured and assesses options for reform. In addition, the Foundation continues to assess both incremental and comprehensive proposals to address the uninsured, including modeling reform proposals ranging from tax credits to expansions of public programs.