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Study: Cost of healthcare not biggest deterrent for uninsured

Patient Access Weekly Advisor, July 18, 2007

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A new study predicts that lowering the cost of health insurance by as much as 50% would only reduce the number of uninsured Americans by 3%, reports USA Today.

This suggests that cost isn't the only barrier standing in the way of universal coverage.

The study's author, Susan Marquis, an economist at Rand, says that the only way to insure all Americans may be a federal requirement for healthcare coverage. Price cuts alone won't make a significant change because there are surprising numbers of people who can afford coverage, but choose not to buy it.

"A lot of people aren't willing to pay for insurance; they have other things they feel are a priority," Marquis told USA Today.

Len Nichols, an economist who was not involved in the study, says that there are two categories of uninsured: those who don't think they need it and those who can't afford it. He advises that the most "humane" way to approach the problem is by subsidizing coverage for those who can't afford it and mandate it for those who think they don't need it.

The first attempt to mandate healthcare insurance is underway now in Massachusetts. Its success or failure may play a role in deciding how the rest of the nation will face the issue.

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