health care

The cost of health insurance has nearly doubled during the Bush Administration.

Middle income families losing insurance coverage largely make up the surge of uninsured Americans. For adults with incomes above 200 percent of the federal poverty level (about $42,000 per year for a family), the underinsured rate nearly tripled since 2003.

Insurance deductibles and co-pays have dramatically increased. Between 2001 and 2005, the average deductible for a conventional fee-for-service health plan increased from $598 to $1,192. During the same period, patients were forced to pay larger co-pays for visits to a doctor and for prescription drugs.

Health care premiums are skyrocketing. From 2000 to 2007, the cost of employer-sponsored insurance increased from $6,438 to $12,106 for family coverage. Adjusted for inflation, that’s a 56 percent increase to cover a family of four.