Why we must have health care reform.

[JDPriestly]

IF WE DO NOTHING, THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE LOOKS LIKE THIS:
FAMILY BUDGETS ARE CRIPPLED
􀂃 The cost an employer‐sponsored family health insurance plan reaches $24,000 by 2016 – an increase of 84%. That means most American households spend 45% of their income on health
insurance.
􀂃 Families are paying more for less as the average deductible increases 73% to almost $2,700 by 2016 and copayments go up.
􀂃 More families face economic ruin because of illness as the number of uninsured Americans grows to 66 million by 2019. Middle class families are most likely to lose their coverage.

AMERICAN BUSINESSES FALL BEHIND
􀂃 Employer spending on health care premiums more than doubles to $885 billion in 2019 from $430 billion.
􀂃 As premiums increase 20%, expected in the next four years, 3.5 million workers lose their jobs.
􀂃 Because of rising costs, one in five employers stop offering health benefits in the next three to five years. 11 million Americans lose their employer‐sponsored health insurance by 2019.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GOES BROKE
􀂃 As Americans lose their private insurance, many are added to already‐strained government programs. Combined with the rising cost of care, spending on Medicare and Medicaid doubles from $720 billion in 2009 to $1.4 trillion in 2019.
􀂃 By 2017 the fund that pays for Medicare and Medicaid is broke and can’t pay for benefits at the current level.
􀂃 Within a decade we spend one out of every $5 we earn on health care. In 30 years, we spend one out of every $3.

http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090619/healthcarereform_costofinaction.pdf