Uninsured Fact Sheet

• 19.4% of South Carolinians are uninsured.
   
• 21% of South Carolinians under age 65 are uninsured.
   
• 60% of the uninsured are hard working citizens.
   
• 74% of the uninsured list affordability as the reason they have not purchased health insurance.
   
• 36% of the uninsured who are eligible for their employer's health insurance plan listed affordability as the reason they were not enrolled in the plan.
   
• 78% of businesses in South Carolina, excluding self-employed and government workers, have fewer than 10 employees.
   
• 53% of employers with fewer than 10 employees do not offer group health insurance to their employees.
   
• Over 60% of the working uninsured are employed in construction, professional and related services, retail trade, hotel/motel and manufacturing businesses.
   
• In 2002, uninsured South Carolinians cost the system $1,936 per uninsured individual.
   
• Nationwide, 52% of employers with fewer than 250 employees do not offer health coverage.
   
• Significant increases in health care costs are threatening the viability of small businesses as they struggle with whether to cut benefits or drop the health insurance benefit completely and risk losing good employees to competitors.
   
• One out of every 4 uninsured use the Emergency Room annually.
   
• The number one response by the uninsured when asked why they don't have health insurance: Affordability.
   
• Workers in small firms are disproportionately represented among the uninsured.
   
• Between 78 and 85% of employees sign up for employer-offered health insurance.
   
• Employees consider health insurance to be, by far, the most important fringe benefit.