Health Insurance: An Overview of the Working Uninsured
Abstract
Almost 37 million Americans were without health insurance in 1985. Of these Americans, at least two-thirds who were under the age of 65 were working adults and their uninsured dependents. Reduced availability of health insurance through employment contributed to the growth in the number of uninsured between 1982 and 1985. Concerned about this problem, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee requested that the General Accounting Office provide information on the working uninsured: their characteristics and those of their employers; the delivery of and payment for their health care; and the policy options available for providing health insurance to them. GAO also provided information on the gaps and limitations in existing data that may make it difficult for policymakers to design comprehensive solutions to reduce the number of working uninsured. This report is one of a series on the uninsured. GAO evaluated data from 12 national databases and over 200 research studies to obtain information on the working uninsured; GAO also interviewed health policy analysts who were experts in the field. Through these discussions and its own analysis, GAO identified gaps in the existing research; therefore, GAO presents its own views on where additional research may be needed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 24, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA205773
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office