Middle-class Americans are losing health insurance faster than other income groups, according to a report (.pdf) released today from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The report found:
- Just 66 percent of people in families earning $45,000 - $85,000 are now insured through their employer-a drop of seven percentage points from 2000 to 2008
- Among middle-income Americans, only about half of the decline in employer-sponsored coverage from 2000 to 2008 was offset by government insurance programs
- Nationwide, the average cost an employee paid for a family insurance policy rose 81 percent from 2000 to 2008. During the same period, median household income fell 2.5 percent (adjusted for inflation).
- While most employers still paid the lion’s share of their employees’ insurance premiums, rising costs have been passed on to workers-with some choosing to drop insurance.
Previously: One-in-four Californians lack health insurance
