A recent article published in The New York Times highlights the growing problem of ‘underinsurance’ in the U.S. In fact, 23 percent of Americans were considered “underinsured” in 2014 (defined as “someone who has paid more than 10 percent of household income in medical bills in the last year or had a deductible that was at least 5 percent of their income”).
The full study, conducted by The Commonwealth Fund, notes that underinsured individuals received a range of coverage types, including Medicaid, Medicare and both employment-based and individual private insurance. The article concludes that these underinsured numbers may begin to reduce in future surveys as new Affordable Care Act provisions kick in.