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For Sean and Trina Weisman, it came down to a choice: Either pay the mortgage on their home, or pay for their child's medication. They can't afford both.
They chose to pay for the medication. The couple is not facing foreclosure. Trina says, "It wasn't a choice. Not even for a moment. What parent wouldn't give their child what they need?" Like most young parents the Weisman thought the medical coverage offered through their employer would cover most unexpected medical expenses. Unexpected layoffs left the couple with spotty coverage and before long the premiums increased-they cannot afford $725 a month for supplemental premiums or private coverage.

The number of Americans lacking health insurance is increasing. As the economy shifts from manufacturing based to more service oriented health insurance coverage has become unstable. Part-time and contract workers are usually not eligible for employer-sponsored health insurance. Smaller employers simply cannot afford to offer health benefits. The large majority of people without insurance, nearly eighty percent, are natives or naturalized citizens.

New Yorkers are coming to terms with the fact that health care insurance is unaffordable even for people who work full time. Almost half of New York City residents have health insurance. Each year 1.7 million New Yorkers hope and pray they do not get sick because they don't have medical insurance.

Latinos, African-Americans, and other minorities living the city are much more likely to be uninsured than whites. Experts and health officials worry that having such a large uninsured population is undermining the financial stability of the whole health care system. In 2006 nearly 1.3 million full-time American workers lost their health insurance. 8 out of 10 of the uninsured come from working class families.

James Tallon from the United Hospital Fund said, "From a health care system's point of view, the uninsured are the single largest structural flaw in the system." On a personal level-a lack of health insurance can be financially devastating. Eventually people get sick-and a trip to the emergency room, lab tests, or even a doctor's visit when a patient lacks health insurance leaves very few options. Many individuals put the charges on a credit card-and in the worst case scenario-choices must be made rent or medication; medication or food.

Even though New York has one of the nation's highest per capita rates of spending health care is ranked 30th on quality of care and 11th on access

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