Despite the widespread availability of employer sponsored health insurance, low wage workers, particularly in the health care sector, continue to face overwhelming challenges to obtain adequate, affordable coverage.
Key takeaways:
Health Care Includes a Large Number of Low Wage Workers | There are nearly 7 million support, direct care, and service workers in the healthcare industry, and many make significantly less than the average U.S. wage.
The Rising Costs of Health Care Effects Them on Two Fronts | First, the employee contribution for employer-sponsored insurance takes a large part of these workers compensation. Plus, the cost of insurance makes it increasingly more likely that employers will automate or eliminate jobs.
Support is Necessary to Protect These Essential Workers | Government support in the form of targeted subsidies would help to remedy the health care cost chasm, especially for smaller applicable large employers (ALEs) that struggle to offer adequate insurance coverage.
