More Americans declining health coverage, but UniCare offers solution

As the cost of employment-based health insurance and premiums faced by the employee continue to rise, an increasing number of employed Americans are declining coverage, according to a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. About 3 million fewer eligible Americans signed up for health insurance in 2003, compared with 1998.
There has been a 42 percent increase in the cost of individual, employment-based health care plans between 1998 and 2003, with adjustment for inflation. About 80 percent of eligible workers elected to enroll in their employers’ health care plans in 2003. More than half of all adults who do not have health insurance cite high costs.

A series of Institute of Medicine reports looks at the United States' uninsured population and what the nation should do to ensure health care coverage. Insuring America's Health: Principles and Recommendations calls for universal health coverage by 2010 given the growing stress being placed on the nation's health care system, the exacerbated health problems, and the substantial societal costs that result from more than 45 million Americans lacking health insurance. Hidden Costs, Value Lost: Uninsurance in America estimated the societal economic loss for the United States at between $65 billion and $130 billion every year because of the poorer health and earlier death experienced by the uninsured.

UniCare has taken a huge step in reducing this problem in Illinois, and Texas by introducing the new Sound Health plans aimed at the nations largest amount of uninsured, those in the 18-40 age group, the young invicibles. John Berkowitz of Medequote in Chicago states that sales have been brisk for the new product. "It includes everything you need at a very low cost without sacraficing the quality of coverage", says Berkowitz, "The product is now be offered at our website www.medequote.com, and the sign-up is slick, easy and only takes only a few moments, most applicants are immediately covered and are able to print out a colorful enrollment card."

UniCare has plans for national distribution of this product in the future. Based on sales so far of the similar Tonic product in California for Blue Cross of California, another WellPoint company. Tonic has been a huge hit in California, and UniCare's Sound should do well and make a serious dent in the number of young insured's in Illinois, Texas, and at a later date, the country as a whole.
www.soundhealthplans.com