Institute of Medicine Releases New Report-America's Uninsured Crisis

The nonpartisan Institute of Medicine (IOM) convened a committee of health policy experts with different points of view to study evidence on the uninsured. Findings and recommendations from the committee were released this week in Washington, DC. The report is the first of IOM looking at issues of uninsurance since a landmark series of reports released between 2000 and 2004. Download the report brief here.

“The Institute of Medicine studied the consequences of not having health insurances and found that what has been a bad situation for many years has only gotten worse. The number of people getting health insurance through their job has continued to decline, costs have risen, and the number of uninsured has grown.

The IOM report suggests that, in communities with high numbers of uninsured, people who actually have health insurance are less likely to be satisfied with the quality of their care and their choice of health care providers. Clearly, when millions of Americans are uninsured, we are all affected. Since so many people in our state live without health insurance, we all need to work for solutions, whether we are insured or not.

The report also confirms what we see everyday in Texas. People without health insurance do not get the care they need. These individuals are forced to gamble every day that they won’t get sick or injured.

The IOM says there is no change in sight for these trends unless action is taken. The report’s recommendation is clear stating, ‘we recommend with the strongest urgency we can convey that the President and Congress take action on coverage and costs.’ That’s a powerful statement from the IOM.

With more than five million people in Texas going without any health coverage the findings underscore the dire need for the President and Congress to heed the advice of the IOM and act immediately to ensure that all individuals have health insurance.”