EBRI Research: Uninsured Segment Hit Post-1987 High in 2002; Declining Employment-Based Coverage Suggests No Reversal Near

5/7/2004

From: Jim Jaffe, 202-775-6353 or jaffe@ebri, or Paul Fronstin, 202-775-6352 or fronstin@ebri.org, both of the Employee Benefit Research Institute

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- The percentage of Americans lacking health insurance hit a post-1987 high in 2002 and a decline in employment-linked coverage, particularly for retirees, suggests that no reversal is in immediate sight, according to research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute that should have particularly relevance as the nation focuses on the uninsured.

The analysis of the uninsured was published as an EBRI Issue Brief and a summary can be found on the Internet at http://www.ebri.org/ibex/ib264.htm

Other recent EBRI reports that provide context on the magnitude and composition of America's uninsured population include:

-- Small Employers and Health Benefits, January 2003 Issue Brief reviewing which employers offer health insurance and why.

-- Health Benefits Decline in 2002, November 2003 Notes, on the Internet at http://www.ebri.org/notesx/1103note.htm

-- The "Business Case" for Investing in Employee Health," which examines how employers decide whether to offer health insurance to employees, March 2004 Issue Brief. A summary is posted at http://www.ebri.org/ibex/ib267.htm

Full texts of any of these studies are available without charge by calling Jim Jaffe, 202-775-6353 or sending a message to jaffe@ebri.org

Paul Fronstin, director of EBRI's Health Research and Education Program, will participate in activities marking Covering the Uninsured Week with presentations at during small business seminars in Oakland, Calif., and Portland, Ore.