With Uninsured Population Expected to Rise, United States Entering a ‘Crisis,’ New Republic Reports

The New Republic reports that the United States has entered a "health care crisis" that "might be even worse" than the problems the nation faced during the early 1990s -- "the last time anyone in American politics spoke seriously of a health care 'crisis'" -- and may increase the number of uninsured from 40 million to 45 million by the end of 2002. As a result of the recession that began in March, unemployment has increased, and because most Americans purchase health insurance through their employers, "anything that increases joblessness inevitably reduces the ranks of the insured." Health care costs also have risen "through the roof" in the past few years, and amid a recession, many employers have passed the additional cost of health insurance premiums to employees through higher co-payments and deductibles. The New Republic reports that some employers "just aren't offering insurance at all, which is one reason the number of uninsured Americans is shooting back up." In addition, many state Medicaid programs face deficits this year. The New Republic reports that as a result, many states will reduce services and tighten eligibility requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries -- which "means that at the very time people need government safety net insurance programs, most states are cutting them back." According to the New Republic, although lawmakers have begun to address the problems with "modest short-term" proposals, "What Washington doesn't yet understand is that we are already in another health care crisis," which may require large-scale reforms (Cohn, New Republic, 12/13).