Recent information from the Bureau of Labor Statics shows wide gaps in who can get employer sponsored health insurance. Most people in the Unites States receive their health care insurance from their employers. But do all employers give workers the same opportunities for coverage?
The answer is clearly 'No." Overall, employees of state or local governments are offered medical benefits 88% of the time compared to 71% of workers in private industry. Another way to look at those numbers is 29% of people working do not have the opportunity to buy employer sponsored health care. These statistics show why a public option for health care is needed.
Working full time or part time changes your chances.
86% of full time workers in private industry get offered health care insurance, but only 24% of the part time workers do. Before you jump to conclusions that part time workers are teenagers and college kids, many adults may work several part time jobs to support themselves and their families. Having multiple part time jobs occurs when employers don't want to take on full time employees because of the added costs of benefits or lack of work. These part time workers could be covered by a public option.
Your occupation can determine if you can get health care coverage thru your employer. Professionals and management get offered coverage 86% of the time. Construction, maintenance, production and transportation workers are offered coverage 77% of the time. Sales and office people have access to health insurance 72% of the time.
But service workers only get the chance to buy employer sponsored health care insurance 46% of the time. The service industry is the growth segment of the economy. As the economy grows, the number of workers who work in service industries grow, and so does the number of uninsured workers. If there is a public option for health care, the service industries can continue to grow, but their workers will now have the same access to health care as management and professional employees currently do.
Chart from Bureau of Labor Statistics, Access to Medical Care Benefits: Private Industry vs. State and Local Government
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