Cover the Uninsured Highlights

The two recessions that Americans have weathered in the first decade of the 21st century have taken a tremendous toll on people's ability to afford health insurance – and employers' capacity to offer it. A new report from the nonpartisan Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), documents that while the situation has been tough for everyone, it's America’s middle class that has been hardest hit.

Without significant reform to the current health care system, the number of uninsured Americans could grow by 10 million people in just five years, and spending on government health care programs for the poor could more than double by 2020, according to a new report released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

March 14-20 is Cover the Uninsured Week. We invite you to plan events and activities this week and throughout the year to raise awareness of and call for solutions for the 46 million Americans, including 9 million children, living without health insurance. Visit "How to Help" to learn more.

As meaningful health reform draws closer to a reality, you can access the most up-to-date research, data and commentary at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s HealthReform.org Web site. The site even offers a blog where experts weigh in on the leading issues of the day. Or, for up-to-date legislative analysis, check out the Kaiser Family Foundation’s health reform resources page.

Your help made a difference! Thank you for making our tenth annual Back-to-School Campaign a success and helping to get America’s kids covered! Thanks to you, more eligible uninsured kids have the coverage they need. More than 90 percent of this year’s events offered on-site enrollment in low-cost or free health coverage programs.

The 10th annual Back-to-School Campaign is here! As local organizations and activists across the country are engaged in the health reform debate, we know that many of you are continuing to enroll eligible uninsured children in low-cost and free health care coverage programs--and we want to help. Plan an event and order free materials today!

With Congress and the Obama administration discussing how to reform the nation’s health care system, a new report looks at what has happened since the last significant reform effort ended in 1994 without any comprehensive congressional action. The analysis from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) documents the deteriorating scenario unfolding since then.

"This IOM report shows that the evidence on the consequences of being uninsured is stronger than ever. People without insurance do not get the care they need, and too many people live sicker and die sooner as a result," says RWJF President and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A.

RWJF President Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., says the signing of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) "extends a vital safety net for millions of hard-working parents who either aren't offered insurance for their kids through their jobs, or can't afford the coverage that is offered."

Making health care more affordable is a top concern of small business owners, who say that health care costs are the primary issue confronting their businesses.