by Christopher Cornue

So much of the research and literature out there speaks to the uninsured, which is an issue that needs immediate attention; however, there is an increasing group of individuals for which a focus is necessary. According to the recently published report by The Commonwealth Fund, How Many are Underinsured? Trends Among US Adults, 2003 and 2007, there are an estimated 25 million underinsured individuals in the US, which is a staggering 60 percent increase from 2003. The majority of this increase is in the middle class, while low-income households remain at significant risk as well. The report details how folks are identified as underinsured (which is very interesting) and specific groups that are hit the hardest. The biggest concern with this is that often care is not sought, which obviously impacts the health of the individual and will eventually add additional costs to the healthcare system down the line. As with issues we?ve raised in the past, one of the biggest issues we have is ensuring that preventative care occurs on an ongoing basis. This underinsured issue will only complicate our health care system challenge further.