Three cheers for health care reform. It isn’t enough, but it is more than we’ve had. And in case you were wondering just how bad we’ve had it lately, I submit to you this graphic reminder. The Center for Economic and Policy Research’s Hye-Jin Rho and John Schmitt analyzed national data for Health Insurance Coverage Rates for US Workers, 1979-2008.
Their report shows that US workers’ rate of health insurance coverage declined by 10 percent over the past 30 years (ahem, just as women’s share of the workforce has been increasing) and low wage workers (with higher concentrations of women workers) have been losing more than anyone else: The rate of low wage workers with no health insurance has more than doubled to 37 percent in 2008.
And that’s a pretty graphic reminder.
Comments
gwp_admin — March 25, 2010
Thanks, Virginia, and all of this is happening in a country's whose Declaration of Independence talked about its citizens having "certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..." -- Happiness, and sometimes Life, become elusive for those without health insurance.
Deborah Siegel — March 25, 2010
OY. Graphic reminder indeed. But go John Schmitt! Such hugely important work, and thank you Virginia for sharing it with us here.