Who are the uninsured?

• One in four Texans has no health insurance, and in large cities like Houston, the number is one in three. 
• If the state’s uninsured population comprised its own state, it would rank as the 19th largest state in the union based on population.
• Of the state’s 5.7 million uninsured, about 1.5 million are children. More than half of these children are eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program but are not enrolled.
• Despite the myth that the uninsured population is largely illegal immigrants, the fact is that roughly 79 percent of the uninsured are U.S. citizens.
• In Texas, 75 percent of the non-elderly uninsured are from working families, meaning there is at least one worker in the family.
• Most of the uninsured are not the chronically unemployed or even the jobless. In fact, just 16 percent of non-elderly uninsured Texans were unemployed in 2007.

It's a business issue:

• In 2006, less than half (49 percent) of private-sector businesses in Texas offered health insurance to their employees, compared to a national average of 56 percent.
• Low-wage workers particularly are disadvantaged, as they are less likely to be offered coverage through the workplace and are unable to afford coverage on their own.
• In 2006, less than a third of Texas businesses with 50 or fewer employees offered health care benefits.

All families are affected:

• In Texas, health insurance premiums for families are about $1,551 higher due to the cost of caring for uninsured patients. According to Families USA, this number is expected to grow to $2,786 by 2010.
• Those that are offered coverage often must pay a portion of the premium or meet a high deductible, keeping health insurance out of reach for many. Rising premiums have prompted many employers to cut their workers’ health insurance entirely, lengthen the time before eligibility begins, increase workers’ share of premiums, limit family eligibility or reduce coverage.
• Nationally, between 2007 and 2008, family health insurance premiums for employer-based coverage rose an average of 4.7 percent.

The nation’s economic downturn will further exacerbate health care problems by placing increased strains on families’ budgets and their ability to afford care.

What's the solution? Read on.