Wages, health benefits, and workers' health

Abstract

Employer-based health insurance provides the majority of U.S. workers with access to health care and protection against devastating financial losses. Millions of workers, however, do not receive health benefits from their employers, and few sources of affordable coverage exist outside the employer-based system. This study, based on data from the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey, finds a deep divide in the U.S. labor force and an urgent need for expanding access to comprehensive and affordable coverage to working Americans and their families. According to the authors, higher-wage workers are more likely than their lower-paid counterparts to have health insurance and health-related benefits, such as paid sick leave, and to use preventive care services. Low-wage workers, meanwhile, are much more likely to forgo needed health care because of cost and to report problems paying medical bills.