One-third of Coloradans Recently Uninsured

More than a third of Coloradans under the age of 65 were uninsured at some point during 2006-2007, according to a report released Thursday by Families USA, a non-partisan organization dedicated to health care reform. About two-thirds of those 1.4 million people were without insurance for six months or longer.

“The huge number of people without health coverage over the past two years helps to explain why health care has become a top issue in Colorado,” said Dede de Percin, Executive Director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI), in a statement.  “When are we going to hear this persistent fire alarm in our health care system for what it is: a public call for help from our state’s businesses, health care providers, and consumers.” 

continued…During the same period, 89.6 million people across the nation were uninsured, the majority from working families. More than 70 percent of the uninsured have full-time jobs, which demonstrates that coverage through employers is often unavailable or unaffordable.