More than 5 million Americans have lost their employer-sponsored health plansduring the pandemic, and have not secured alternate health insurance. That’s according to a study by nonprofit consumer health care advocacy group Families USA.
Stan Dorn of Families USA authored the paper. He says low wage workers have seen an extraordinary increase in the number of uninsured, with New York among five states with the highest coverage losses.
"African-Americans in particular but other people of color as well suffered disproportionate losses. And families with children were hurt. About 1.3 million adults in families with children lost their health insurance and that has significanteffects on children's wellbeing as well as adults’ wellbeing."
The report finds people without health insurance are less likely to visit their doctor and notes the healthcare industry itself has lost more than a million jobs since the pandemic began.