The Uninsured
There are currently over 43 million American (16% of the population) who are completely uninsured. A study by the Institute of Medicine (2003) concludes that all members of a community are affected when others lack health insurance.
Emergency rooms become overcrowded, as they are the only places mandated by law to treat the ill. Hospitals are often left with unpaid bills, which increases the health care costs for those who are insured. Specialists often begin to refuse service as they more frequently come into contact with individuals who are unable to pay5.
The average uninsured individual leaves between $368 and $1,017 per year in healthcare premiums for others to cover. That's not to say the uninsured are gleefully living it up. More often than not, these individuals end up filing for bankruptcy because they have no way to foot their medical bills. As a result, these costs are eventually handed off to individuals and families in the form of higher premiums or higher prices for services6.
5 The Impact of the uninsured. Finds, Baylor College of Medicine http://www.bcm.edu/findings/vol1/is3/03mar_m.htm - Accessed Sept. 4th, 2009
6 Hidden Health Tax: Americans Pay A Premium http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/hidden-health-tax.pdf