The Deepening Crisis in U.S. Health Care: A Review of Data,Spring 2008

This report presents information on the state of U.S. health care in early 2008. The numbers of uninsured and underinsured continue to rise, and the proportion of people covered by employer-sponsored private coverage decreases. For 29 percent of low- and middle-income households with credit card debt, medical bills are a contributor to their current balance. Health spending in the United States is on the increase, and projected spending in 2008 will consume 16.6 percent of gross domestic product. Health insurance premiums grew 78 percent between 2002 and 2007. Meanwhile, safety-net hospitals are facing deep deficits and service cuts across the country. Pharmaceutical and insurance companies spend millions lobbying Congress. Health industry CEOs continue to be richly rewarded, even as companies come under investigation or face fines for claims denials, manipulation of data, or violations of claims-handling regulations. Average monthly premiums for Medicare Part D increase while plans are reducing coverage for high-cost drugs. And research shows how private plans such as Medicare Advantage hurt Medicare. According to opinion polls, the majority of Americans and physicians support a single-payer health care system.