| Many employees throughout Texas, but especially in | | | | procedures required to evaluate even the most minor |
| the larger cities of Austin, Dallas and Houston, are | | | | conditions. |
| finding it a challenge nearing on the impossible to find | | | | Because uninsured residents typically do not have |
| the affordable health insurance they and their families | | | | ready access to preventive care, when a health |
| need. | | | | condition does become apparent, the cost to treat it |
| As an entire state, Texas already has the highest | | | | is often more expensive with success rates often |
| percentage of its population without health insurance, | | | | less than what would be seen if early diagnosis and |
| just over 25% (compared with a national average of | | | | treatment were to have occurred. |
| 15.3%, according to the 2005 U.S. Census). Indeed, | | | | The extent of the human cost to Texas and its |
| every major city in Texas, including Dallas, Houston | | | | residents is staggering. As the Report indicates, some |
| and Austin, have a higher percentage of uninsured | | | | 2,500 Texas residents die prematurely every year, 1 |
| than the national average. | | | | million Texas residents with chronic illnesses do not |
| In companies with fewer than 10 workers, most | | | | receive adequate services, and 3 million residents are |
| (52%) do not offer health insurance coverage, the | | | | less likely to receive preventative and screening |
| main reason being affordability. | | | | services. |
| A report by the Task Force on Access to Health | | | | Screening becomes particularly important when it |
| Care in Texas (Code Red: The Critical Condition of | | | | comes to dealing with cancer, the Report notes. |
| Health in Texas, April 2006), highlights the issues | | | | About half of all new cancer cases can be detected |
| associated with the uninsured in the state, which | | | | early through screening, including cancers of the |
| include an overall lower quality of life, for individuals | | | | breast, colon, rectum, cervix, prostate, oral cavity |
| and the communities in which they live. | | | | and skin. |
| While offering a number of recommendations for | | | | As many as 35% of premature deaths could be |
| improvement, the Task Force extensively outlines | | | | prevented by early screening, according to the |
| the magnitude of what is a growing problem in a | | | | American Cancer Society. Early detection may also |
| state that is growing rapidly, thereby exacerbating an | | | | reduce the severity of the cancer, since treatment |
| already deteriorating situation that is likely, without | | | | for earlier-stage cancer is often less aggressive than |
| concrete solutions being offered, to significantly | | | | for the more advanced forms of the disease. |
| impact the future for millions of Texans. | | | | Another significant consequence of an uninsured |
| Among the observations made, the fact that people | | | | population, such as that in Texas and the cities of |
| living in Texas who have no health insurance do | | | | Dallas, Houston and Austin, is the adverse effects of |
| receive medical care. But who pays for it? The | | | | chronic diseases such as diabetes. In Texas, an |
| answer is: everyone else. The cost of providing | | | | estimated 1.3 million residents have diabetes, with an |
| healthcare to those who, for whatever reason, do | | | | additional 300,000 estimated to be undiagnosed. |
| not have it (affordability being the most obvious | | | | Conservative estimates rank diabetes as the sixth |
| reason) is passed on to the insured through higher | | | | leading cause of death in the state; uninsured people |
| premiums and, in the case of government providing | | | | with diabetes are less likely to receive recommended |
| the service, through taxes. | | | | services. |
| More than one-third of the total $65 billion cost of | | | | As the Texas Report indicates, the state's healthcare |
| healthcare services provided to people without health | | | | infrastructure is heavily strained by the large number |
| insurance is paid out of pocket by the uninsured | | | | of uninsured, with the burden of uncompensated |
| themselves, but, of the remaining $43 billion, | | | | care falling on a system already struggling to meet |
| two-thirds is paid for indirectly by those who are | | | | increases in the demand for services. |
| insured, in the form of higher health insurance | | | | Experts agree that the impact on business in Texas |
| premiums. | | | | from the healthcare issue involving uninsured is high. |
| Those who do need healthcare but do not have | | | | Nearly 66% of companies surveyed indicated that |
| insurance to pay for it also tend to get the service in | | | | they have experienced more pressure to manage |
| ways that are less efficient and more expensive. An | | | | internal costs and healthcare costs are growing faster |
| example of this is the local emergency room at a | | | | than production and wages, a trend that is |
| hospital, where care is expensive and relatively | | | | unsustainable. |
| inefficient, mostly due to the overhead and | | | | |