The latest uninsured figures show that expanding subsidies and public programs is not enough. If policymakers want more Americans to obtain coverage, they need to make insurance better and cheaper—not merely more heavily subsidized.
The number of uninsured Americans ticked upward to 26.7 million in 2024, according to an analysis published this month by KFF.
The report’s authors attribute that trend to the “high cost of private insurance and limited availability of public coverage.”
Unpack the numbers, though, and the situation becomes more complicated. The number of uninsured is simply not a useful heuristic for evaluating the U.S. healthcare system.
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.
The Real Lesson Of America’s Rising Uninsured Rate
Sally C. Pipes
The latest uninsured figures show that expanding subsidies and public programs is not enough. If policymakers want more Americans to obtain coverage, they need to make insurance better and cheaper—not merely more heavily subsidized.
The number of uninsured Americans ticked upward to 26.7 million in 2024, according to an analysis published this month by KFF.
The report’s authors attribute that trend to the “high cost of private insurance and limited availability of public coverage.”
Unpack the numbers, though, and the situation becomes more complicated. The number of uninsured is simply not a useful heuristic for evaluating the U.S. healthcare system.
Click to read the full article . . .
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.