1) The group of people who are the most vulnerable are young adults aged 19-64. This group of people is comprised mostly of working adults and because of lapses in employee health care benefits and skyrocketing health insurance costs, 81% of the 46.1 million uninsured Americans fall into this class. Most Americans obtain their health benefits from their employers but rising premiums put economical strains on businesses. In addition, the increases in health care costs have been far outpacing the increase in wages. Inside this group, low wage workers are especially vulnerable because their employers usually don't offer health benefits. If the employee does offer benefits, low wage workers are often unable to afford the premiums.

This age group is the most vulnerable for the reasons listed above but also because almost all elderly Americans are covered by Medicare and children benefit from the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). These programs are efficient, but due to the recent economic downturn, these public programs have become limited.

2) Access to health care is extremely important to the health of individuals and the financial stability of families. People without health insurance face challenges in their personal life because many uninsured Americans delay or forego necessary care which can lead to a worsening of their overall health. In low-income working class families, a big operation or critical accident can bring the family to financial ruin because they simply cannot afford the hospital bill. In these cases, the bills are ultimately passed on to the taxpayers, creating an immense strain on the economic stability and moral reasoning of society.
Researchers estimate mortality rates could be decreased by 5-15% if uninsured people were given adequate health insurance coverage. In viewing the economic benefits of a decreased mortality rate and more insured Americans, one must recognize the immense increase in productivity a universal health care system would bring. If people could get any medical care they needed, for free, many people could catch cancer early, or treat symptoms of other condition before they get out of control. This would lead to an overall increase in the health of society and productivity would soar because people can prevent hospital stays and prolonged diseases.

3) Among insured people, women are more likely to forego needed care than men, because of cost. Reports claim 38% of women compared to 29% of men have trouble affording their health care. A main reason is because women have more health care needs but have lower average incomes than men. Women are also more likely to purchase an individual health care plan, as opposed to an employer benefit plan which is often cheaper and more comprehensive. Women are also more likely to take prescription drugs.

Learn more about this author, Johnny Diamantas.
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