Just the Facts on Healthcare

Contributed by Olga Vanucci.

• In 2017, 8.8% of people, or 28.5 million people, did not have health insurance at any 
• point during the year.  
• In 2017, employer-based insurance covered just 56% of the population, followed by Medicaid (19%), Medicare (17%), direct-purchase coverage (16%), and military coverage (5%).
• Between 2016 and 2017, the percentage of people without health insurance coverage decreased in 3 states and increased in 14 states.
• About 43 million Americans have unpaid medical debt.  This includes people who have insurance.
• About one in six Americans received a surprise out-of-network medical bill in 2017 after being treated in a hospital, even though they had insurance.
• The top 25 countries with the best healthcare systems have this in common:  they all provide universal healthcare. The U.S. is not in the top 25.

Sources:

https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-264.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/08/medical-bill-debt-collection/596914/

https://ceoworld.biz/2018/02/14/the-top-25-countries-with-the-best-healthcare-systems-the-world-in-2017/