ATLANTA (AP) - Two new government reports show the percentage of Americans with private health insurance has hit its lowest mark in
50 years.
Preliminary data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention show about 65 percent of non-elderly
Americans had private insurance in 2008. That's down from 67
percent the year before.
The CDC says nearly 80 percent of Americans had private coverage
in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Some experts blame the faltering economy and corporate decisions
to raise health insurance premiums or eliminate employee coverage
entirely as the main drivers of the recent data. They say coverage
statistics for 2009 may look even worse.
However, public coverage of adults is rising in some states due
to programs like Medicaid expanding eligibility.
The CDC also reported on insurance coverage in the 20 largest
states, and found the percent of uninsured people ranged from 3
percent in Massachusetts to 23 percent in Texas.