Grace Zhang
An estimated 5.4 million individuals were stripped from health insurance due to the financial crisis caused by COVID-19. With companies under financial stress, many are let go, resulting in a loss of health insurance.
In fact, the amount of people uninsured is now: “40 percent higher than the highest previous increase, which occurred during the recession of 2008 and 2009. In that period, 3.9 million adults lost insurance.” There are more job losses than ever before, and as the unemployment rate skyrockets, fewer people have health insurance. The study shows that they make up for and alarming 45% of those unemployed and uninsured. For example, “In Texas alone, the number of uninsured jumped from about 4.2 million to nearly 4.9 million, the research found, leaving three out of every 10 Texans uninsured.”
Healthcare is a significant issue in the upcoming presidential campaign. It will be at the forefront of political discussion due to the affordable care act. The Democrats, with their representative as Joe Biden, have sought to expand the law. However, Republicans, represented by Donald Trump, aim to repel it.
For now, precise information about the number of people without healthcare won’t be available until sometime in 2021. Healthcare will be a crucial topic in the upcoming election.