Health Care: See Why Being Insured Matters

Recent figures show that more than 1 in 4 adults 18–64 years old—about 50 million people—had no health insurance for at least part of the past year. Over the past several years, the number of adults 18—64 years old without health insurance for at least part of the year has increased by an average of 1.1 million people each year, and middle-income people account for half of that increase.

Although poverty and lack of insurance are linked, about 1 in 3, or 32%, of middle-income adults aged 18—64 years went without health insurance during some part of 2009. People in all income brackets have been affected, including about 10 million adults in middle-income households and 12 million adults living in poverty according to data from the 2009 National Health Interview Survey.