Washington, DC -- An estimated 47 million people in the US are uninsured, and every 24 minutes, an uninsured American dies because adequate health care is out of reach. With the economy in recession and some of the worst job losses seen in decades, the number of uninsured is projected to skyrocket to more than 54 million by 2019.

"The cost of health insurance premiums is rising 10 times faster than the median American salary, making it nearly impossible for many families to pay for health insurance and still stay afloat," said ACOG President Douglas H. Kirkpatrick, MD. According to a 2009 Institute of Medicine report, other trends driving the loss of insurance coverage, such as rising health care costs and a severely weakened economy, will not reverse without concerted action. "Every American deserves a chance at living a long and healthy life, and having medical insurance is crucial to achieving that," Dr. Kirkpatrick added.

In 2006, women represented more than 45% of uninsured people in the US. Thirteen percent of all pregnant women are uninsured, and older women between ages 55 and 65 are 20% more likely to be uninsured than men. Uninsured women are less likely to receive preventive health care and screening tests, such as clinical breast exams and Pap tests, than women who have insurance. They are also more likely to receive diagnoses at more advanced disease stages and tend to receive less medical intervention once diagnosed.

Women are more likely to be dependents, making them susceptible to losing health insurance due to divorce, becoming widowed, or because their spouse's company increases premiums or drops family coverage entirely.

Despite a few safety-net services that provide care for sick uninsured people, a wide gap still remains between the needs of the uninsured and the outlets available to help them. "ACOG believes that all women should be guaranteed a package of essential benefits that includes primary and preventive care, pregnancy-related and infant care, medically and surgically necessary services, prescription drugs, and catastrophic care," Dr. Kirkpatrick said. ACOG defines the essential principles for achieving universal care that meets women's lifetime health needs in its Health Care for Women, Health Care for All: A Reform Agenda.

"Women are often the primary caregivers for their families, and their access to care is extremely important. As advocates for women's health, ob-gyns must keep involved in the efforts to expand health insurance coverage for all women," Dr. Kirkpatrick said. "ACOG proudly joins nearly 200 national organizations in supporting Cover the Uninsured Week as a step toward reaching that goal."

Cover the Uninsured Week (March 22-28, 2009) is the nation's largest nonpartisan campaign that calls attention to the need for reliable, affordable health coverage for each American. ACOG encourages its members to participate in Cover the Uninsured Week activities that will take place throughout the country. For more information about Cover the Uninsured Week and scheduled events, go to www.covertheuninsured.org.

For more information about ACOG's Health Care for Women, Health Care for All: A Reform Agenda, go to www.acog.org/goto/healthcarereform.

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