Ranks of underinsured U.S. adults increase 60%

According to a new study from the Commonwealth Fund, the number of adults nationwide who have health insurance that does not adequately cover their health expenses increased 60 percent to more than 25 million between 2003 and 2007 (Source: “Ranks of underinsured U.S. adults increase 60%,” San Franscisco Chronicle, June 10, 2008).

Families with annual incomes of at least $40,000 experienced the sharpest increase among the underinsured, nearly tripling from 4 percent in 2003 to 11 percent in 2007, according to the study, which was published online in the journal Health Affairs.

The study based its data on a survey of about 3,500 adults, about three quarters of whom were working adults who were not yet eligible for Medicare. Researchers defined as underinsured anyone who had health insurance all year but had out-of-pocket medical expenses of at least 10 percent of their income, or 5 percent for those with low incomes.