As healthcare costs continue to grow faster than the overall economy, more Americans are becoming uninsured, largely because they are losing employer-sponsored coverage, according to a study by the Alliance for Health Reform. The number of uninsured in 2004 was 45.8 million, up from 45 million in 2003. Some employers have responded to rising costs by shifting more of the expense of health insurance to employees through higher deductibles and co-pays. Others have stopped offering insurance altogether. Sixty percent of employers offered health insurance in 2005, compared to 69% in 2002. Meanwhile, enrollment in Medicaid increased by 31.5% between 2000 and 2004 and its expenditures rose faster than any other type of health insurance. The Medicaid Commission is proposing to cut expenses by $10 billion in 5 years.
