Digital Toolkit: COVID-19 and Health Care Coverage Losses

HEAT Map

Uninsured Adults: May 2020

Top Lines

America just experienced by far the greatest losses of health insurance coverage in its history, with a staggering 5.4 million laid-off workers and many of their families becoming uninsured. During the THREE MONTHS from February to May, more workers lost health insurance than lost such coverage during any FULL YEAR period in history! It is unconscionable that this issue has not been addressed in any serious way during the COVID-19 legislation enacted to date.

Unless Congress gets its act together on health insurance, millions more jobs will be lost in the health care industry and other businesses. Insurance means revenue for hospitals, doctors, and clinics. Fewer paying patients means these health care providers lay off staff or even close their doors, which has ripple effects on surrounding businesses. The result will be millions of additional job losses — the last thing America needs!

Congress needs to protect comprehensive health insurance, not just Coronavirus care. That’s so for four reasons:

1. First, comprehensive health insurance is essential to protecting all of us from the pandemic. People coming down with COVID-19 often do not know their diagnosis. 14% of adults say they would be deterred by cost from seeking care if they have a fever and bad cough — those are the early symptoms of COVID. When people lose insurance, they are literally 4 times as likely to delay or go without necessary care because of cost. Unless people have comprehensive insurance, those coming down with COVID-19 will often stay home rather than seek diagnosis and treatment. That endangers them, but it also acts as a force-multiplier, spreading COVID-19 to the surrounding community.
2. Second, comprehensive health insurance is needed to protect people from chronic diseases unrelated to COVID-19. Doctors report that we are experiencing a wave of untreated chronic illness, putting people in danger from conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Without health insurance, lives are forever changed or even lost as people delay treatment — sometimes until it is too late.
3. Third, comprehensive health insurance is needed to protect families’ financial security. Half of the country has lost employment income, according to the Census Bureau. Tens of millions don’t have enough food to eat and worry about making the next month’s rent or mortgage payment. The last thing they need is to get hit with unpaid medical bills. No one should be forced to choose between getting essential health care and feeding their families — but that is exactly the choice millions of us will face unless Congress protects comprehensive health insurance.
4. Finally, millions of jobs will be lost if hospitals, doctors, clinics, and other health care providers are starved of the revenue they need to keep the lights on. But that is exactly what will happen if Congress remains asleep at the wheel and fails to protect comprehensive health insurance.

Report: Without Federal Support for Health Insurance, Many More Jobs Will Be Lost

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Telebriefing: Without Federal Support for Health Insurance, Many More Jobs Will Be Lost

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Fact Sheet: America’s Coverage Crisis Deepens: New Survey Data Show Millions of Adults Became Uninsured, Starting in Late June

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Report: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Resulting Economic Crash Have Caused the Greatest Health Insurance Losses in American History

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Fact Sheet: “COVID Coverage” Is Not Enough: The American People Need Comprehensive Health Insurance During the Coronavirus Pandemic and Resulting Economic Crash.

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Social Media Graphics

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Suggested Tweets

Report: Without Federal Support for Health Insurance, Many More Jobs Will Be Lost

To avoid a new round of #joblosses that deepens the COVID-19 downturn and prevents #economicrecovery, federal action that maintains comprehensive #healthinsurance is essential https://familiesusa.org/resources/without-federal-support-for-health-insurance-many-more-jobs-will-be-lost/

More than 1M Americans lost health care jobs during the pandemic’s first few months. Forecasted #healthinsurance losses could eliminate as many as 4.7M #jobs in US #healthcare and related industries, which currently employ about 1 in 7 #workers https://familiesusa.org/resources/without-federal-support-for-health-insurance-many-more-jobs-will-be-lost/

In [STATE], forecasted #healthinsurance losses due to the COVID-19 crisis could eliminate as many as [NUMBER] #jobs in #healthcare and related industries. That’s [#X] in the country! [Member of Congress], it’s time to act! https://familiesusa.org/resources/without-federal-support-for-health-insurance-many-more-jobs-will-be-lost/

Fact Sheet: New survey data show millions of adults became uninsured, starting in late June

Recent weekly data from a new Census Bureau survey that provides empirical confirmation of estimates from @FamiliesUSA and others that American families are experiencing major losses in comprehensive #healthinsurance https://familiesusa.org/resources/americas-coverage-crisis-deepens-new-survey-data-show-millions-of-adults-became-uninsured-starting-in-late-june/

Among families losing earnings due to COVID-19, the number of uninsured adults rose by 2 million, or 12% – in less than a month. These #healthinsurance losses were twice as large for African-Americans as for Whites https://familiesusa.org/resources/americas-coverage-crisis-deepens-new-survey-data-show-millions-of-adults-became-uninsured-starting-in-late-june/

From mid-June to mid-July, the number of uninsured parents rose by 1.3 million. Children are less likely to have #healthcoverage if their parents are uninsured. Congress must act to fix this, now! https://familiesusa.org/resources/americas-coverage-crisis-deepens-new-survey-data-show-millions-of-adults-became-uninsured-starting-in-late-june/

Low-wage #workers have experienced staggering #healthinsurance losses due to the pandemic, with the number of uninsured rising by 37% in less than a month. Congress MUST act to protect their health and economic security https://familiesusa.org/resources/americas-coverage-crisis-deepens-new-survey-data-show-millions-of-adults-became-uninsured-starting-in-late-june/

Report: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Resulting Economic Crash Have Caused the Greatest Health Insurance Losses in American History

The increase in the number of uninsured adults between February and May was 39% higher than any ANNUAL increase ever recorded – including at the height of the 2008 recession. Congress must act now ensure families have comprehensive #healthcoverage https://www.familiesusa.org/resources/the-covid-19-pandemic-and-resulting-economic-crash-have-caused-the-greatest-health-insurance-losses-in-american-history/

Between February and May, 5.4 million laid-off workers lost their #healthinsurance in the midst of a global pandemic. No federal COVID-19 legislation signed into law has attempted to address this issue. Congress must step up, now! https://www.familiesusa.org/resources/the-covid-19-pandemic-and-resulting-economic-crash-have-caused-the-greatest-health-insurance-losses-in-american-history/

Families are losing #healthinsurance at a greater rate than at any point in history. In [State], the number of workers becoming uninsured is #[X] in the country. [Member of Congress], you must step up to address this! https://www.familiesusa.org/resources/the-covid-19-pandemic-and-resulting-economic-crash-have-caused-the-greatest-health-insurance-losses-in-american-history/

Families are losing #healthinsurance at a greater rate than at any point in history. In [State], [X%] of working age adults are now uninsured – #[X] in the country. [Member of Congress], it’s time to act! https://www.familiesusa.org/resources/the-covid-19-pandemic-and-resulting-economic-crash-have-caused-the-greatest-health-insurance-losses-in-american-history/

Families are losing #healthinsurance at a greater rate than at any point in history. In [State], the number of workers becoming uninsured is #[X] in the country. [Member of Congress], you must step up to address this! https://www.familiesusa.org/resources/the-covid-19-pandemic-and-resulting-economic-crash-have-caused-the-greatest-health-insurance-losses-in-american-history/

Families are losing #healthinsurance at a greater rate than at any point in history. In [State], the rate of uninsurance has increased by [X%] – #[X] in the country. [Member of Congress], it’s time to act! https://www.familiesusa.org/resources/the-covid-19-pandemic-and-resulting-economic-crash-have-caused-the-greatest-health-insurance-losses-in-american-history/

Hashtags

#healthinsurance
#healthcoverage
#coveragelosses
#coverage
#protectfamilies
#familycoverage
#areyoucovered