The Employment Policies Institute (EPI) has released the results of a new study. that shows that the “widely employed estimate of 47 million uninsured Americans is a misleading representation of the problem.”
The study, authored by Drs. June and David O’Neill of Baruch College and City University of New York, shows that more than 43 percent of uninsured Americans ages 18-64 could likely afford health coverage and are actually “voluntarily uninsured.”
Using data from a number of surveys to determine what percentage of uninsured Americans are actually unable to afford it, the study finds that at least 43 percent of Americans in the 18-64 year-old age group have incomes at least 2.5 times the poverty level and are “voluntarily” uninsured.
The study finds that 79 percent of people with incomes between 2.5 and 3.75 times the poverty level currently purchase private health insurance. In view of the large percentages covered at this level, the authors consider this uninsured group as having enough disposable income to purchase health insurance.
The uninsured population also varies dramatically from state to state. For example, thirty percent of Texas residents are uninsured, compared to 18 percent of New York and 13 percent of D.C. residents. Three states (Texas, Florida and California) make up a third of the uninsured population.