Caring for the Uninsured and Diabetes

Quite possibly the greatest public health problem to date is the lack of health insurance for an estimated 43.6 million Americans, approximately 15% of the population. The number of uninsured is estimated to grow 1.5 million per year. During the past 2 years, some 75 million went without insurance (Groman, 2003; Kaiser Family Foundation [KFF], 2003a). Approximately 80% of uninsured Americans are children and working adults (KFF, 2003b). Rising premiums, co-payments, and deductibles make it increasingly unlikely for many to afford health insurance in the future. Recently, we have seen a 12.7% increase in insurance premiums, which is quadruple the rate of inflation (Gabel, 2001). Uninsured patients pay $26.4 billion in out-of-pocket expenses for health care and receive $98.9 billion in care; $35 billion of it uncompensated (comes from predominantly federal and state programs). These numbers illustrate how the uninsured not only pay a great toll for their care or lack of care, but also how health care costs exact a great toll from the taxpayers as a whole (Volunteers in Health Care [VIH], 2004).