The Number of Uninsured Adults Contiues to Rise

Over the last 10 years, the number of uninsured adults in the U.S.--those ages 18 to 64--has steadily increased, and according to 2009 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, now sits at just over 21 percent. Overall, the number of uninsured people in the U.S. is now 46.3 million--roughly 15 percent of the nation's total population . Children under 18 and seniors 65 and older are more likely to be covered because they are more likely to qualify for government insurance programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare.  Regionally, the Southern and Western portions of the U.S. had the highest percentage of uninsured. Texas had the highest rate of uninsured people at 24.6 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, Massachusetts had the most citizens covered, with only 3.7 percent lacking insurance.(FierceHealthcare)

This is most likely is a symptom of job losses and the inability to afford health insurance as well as lower number of employers offering health insurance. To make things worse, Eighteen governors throughout the nation have ultimately decided against creating temporary high-risk insurance pools for those who are uninsured due to pre-existing conditions. The new health reform law allocates a total $5 billion to the states for the creation of such plans, which would run through Jan. 1, 2014. According to the Washington Post, the states that opted not to administer the risk pools include Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming. (FierceHealthcare)

Texas, which has the highest rate of uninsured in the nation at 25 percent, is one of 35 states that already operates its own high-risk pool. The good news is that twenty-nine states as well as Washington, D.C., said they would participate in the plan.