Census: Fewer people covered by work health insurance

Fewer people covered by work health insurance

Fewer people received health insurance coverage through their employer in 2010 than in 2009, and the number of people covered through government insurance programs continued to rise, according to 2010 data reported Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

It's a trend that started a decade ago, as costs continue to rise and make it harder for employers to offer coverage to their workers. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that since 1999, family premiums for employer-sponsored health coverage have increased by 131 percent.

"Over the last 10 years, private health insurance has continuously decreased," said Brett O'Hara, chief of the Census Bureau's Health and Disability Statistics Branch. "The number of people covered by government programs has increased for the fourth consecutive year."

Census data also indicated that while the number of Americans without health insurance coverage rose to 49.9 million in 2010 from 49 million 2009, the percentage of uninsured remained steady at 16.3 percent. Similarly, the percentage and number of people covered by Medicaid — 15.9 percent and 48.6 million — did not change, despite the economic recession.