This policy paper analyzes the following recommended action: Facilitate access to health care coverage for Americans who lose their jobs and lose their health insurance. The recommended action for this proposal is that federal and state guidance be directed toward ensuring that every American has health care coverage at all times. Thus, it is recommended that programs be developed that facilitate access to health care coverage for Americans who lose their jobs and health insurance.
The specific problem addressed by the proposal is the fact that many Americans face a loss of health insurance when they lose their jobs. This is a problem because most Americans have health care coverage through their employment and when they lose their job they lose this coverage (Meyer & Stepnick, 2002). In fact, Volsky (2009) reported that 14,000 Americans lose their health insurance daily. Women and children are particularly vulnerable to this lack of health care coverage when their husbands lose their jobs (Kaiser Family, 2009). Those with chronic health problems are forced to go without care and many who do not have health insurance delay going to the doctor, lack care continuity, and have poor health outcomes with higher rates of morality (ABAG, 2010; Moffit, 2009). Medical safety nets such as Medicaid are strained and there are more and more uninsured Americans each year. One example is found in Virginia where Community health centers and free clinics provided health care to over 162,000 uninsured people last year (Peace & McClellan, 2010). Thus, more programs are needed to meet the needs of Americans who lose their health care coverage. If the problem is not addressed, those who lose their health insurance due to job changes and their families are likely to lose all health care coverage since this health coverage is not always able to be carried outside of the employment. Poor health care for Americans ultimately result...