The Austin Business Journal (AARP) reports that as of 2009, an astonishing forty seven million Americans have no form of health insurance. Adding to the skyrocketing costs of health care are the high premiums and co-payments that they are also required to pay.

Politics and Health Insurance

In the twenty first century, health insurance is under the radar due to the various government policies. In 1960, after John F. Kennedy won the elections in 1964, and especially after the Democrats emerged victorious, the Government began seriously considering the concept of health insurance at the national level. This lead to the launch of Medicare in 1965. Medicare is composed of two essential elements of both mandatory and supplementary medical insurance.

So, the state of health insurance in the United States is increasingly dependent on the political atmosphere due to the costs involved. "According to HealthcareWorks, a consortium of workforce boards, a shortage of staff increases financial risk by decreasing the profitability of the health care establishment. In 2010, the average cost a of nurse working in a agency, on an annual basis is $175,000 as compared to a staff nurse whose draws around $55,000 to $75,000.”

Gaps In Health Insurance

The main challenge of health insurance, an all-American problem, is that of consistent gaps in the insurance cover due to the costs involved. Research conducted by the Health Insurance shows that families with an income below $20,000 are rarely insured and this phenomenon is prevalent even in the families with a moderate income.

The costs of insuring the entire family is monumental. Comprehensive health insurance packages are expensive as the entire family is covered under prescribed clauses. The access to prescription drugs has reduced due to the strict regulations of the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO).

Financial Changes At The Workplace

“According to the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations), employers are gradually transferring the entire burden of bearing the costs of health care to their employees.” The increasing cost of health care along with the recession makes it difficult for people to avail the required health services at the time of treatment.

This development in 2010 lead to an increasing amount of tension between the employers and the workers as the former needs to cut costs and streamline their businesses and operative infrastructure while the employees are unable to cope with their medical expenses.