Sometimes Numbers Speak Louder than Words in the Case for Health Reform

by Lisa Codispoti, Senior Advisor
and Brigette Courtot, Policy Analyst
National Women’s Law Center

This post is part of a weekly series on Women and Health Reform.

Sometimes, the numbers just say it all. Last year, our issue brief Women and Health Coverage: The Affordability Gap reported some distressing numbers about women’s struggle to get affordable health care (we found, for instance, that over a third of all women had medical debt problems). New survey data published in two reports  from the Commonwealth Fund shows just how bad things are. If anything speaks to the need for health reform that will guarantee quality affordable health coverage for everyone, it is numbers like these (with style credits to the ever-fascinating Harper’s Index):

1. 2 in 3: The proportion of adults who were uninsured or underinsured, reported problems paying medical bills, or went without needed care because of cost in 2007.
2. 79 million: Number of American adults with medical debt or bill problems
3. Percentage of insured versus uninsured women over 50 who received a mammogram in the past 2 years, respectively: 81, 45
4. The proportion of adults paying off medical debt over time: greater than 1 in 4 (28%).
5. The percentage increase from 2005 to 2007 in the number of working-age adults who are grappling with medical debt: +32
6. The proportion of adults with medical debt or bill problems who were insured at the time care was provided: 6 in 10
7. 28 million and 21 million: the numbers, respectively, of adults in 2007 who used up all their savings or incurred large credit card debt due to medical bills.
8. Percent of those with medical bill or debt problems who were unable to pay for basic necessities like food, heat, or rent because of these problems: 29 
9. Chance that someone who is self-employed or employed by a company with fewer than 20 workers was uninsured during the year: 1 in 3
10. Chance that an employee in a company with more than 500 workers was uninsured: 1 in 10
11. Percent of American adults who do not feel very confident in their ability to get high quality, safe health care when they need it: 71

Do these figures anger you?  Then join us and Health Care for America Now! a national campaign to ensure a guarantee of affordable quality health care for all.

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