Insurance In America

Employment-based health insurance is the primary means of coverage in the United States for the non-elderly population. Typically 60-70% of non-elderly people are part of an employer sponsored plan. Today approximately 162 million Americans are covered through employers. However, since 2000 the percentage of the non-elderly population with employer sponsored coverage has experienced a decline.

People without access to an employer-sponsored plan receive coverage from the individual health insurance market, public programs such as Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), or remain uninsured. Approximately 14 million people have individual coverage, and public programs currently cover about 36 million non-elderly people.

To learn more about how private health insurance works view a study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, entitled “How Private Health Coverage Works: A Primer 2008 Update.” Alternatively, you can learn more about employer-sponsored coverage, also known as “Group Insurance.”