Dear Partners,
Families USA recently released a report that estimates the historic losses in health coverage that have taken place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. The report was covered by the New York Times, and we hope you will join us in lifting up the importance of centering comprehensive health insurance coverage in COVID-19 response. Key takeaways include:
- The health coverage losses resulting from the COVID-19 crisis are 39% higher than any annual increase in the number of uninsured adults ever recorded–including at the height of the 2008 recession.
- 46% of all health insurance losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crash have occurred in five states:
- California (689,000), Texas (659,000), Florida (607,000), New York (298,000), and North Carolina (238,000).
- Five states have experienced increases in the number of uninsured adults that exceed 40%:
- Massachusetts, where the number nearly doubled, rising by 93%; Hawaii (72%); Rhode Island (55%); Michigan (46%); and New Hampshire (43%).
- Eight states, many of which are attempting to re-open their economies, now have 20% or more of their non-elderly adult populations without any health insurance:
- Texas, where nearly three out of every ten such adults are uninsured (29%); Florida (25%); Oklahoma (24%); Georgia (23%); Mississippi (22%); Nevada (21%); North Carolina (20%); and South Carolina (20%).
It’s critical that Congress receives the message that the next COVID-19 relief package must prioritize comprehensive health insurance in order to improve health outcomes, limit financial insecurity, and promote economic recovery.
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