For details about the number of uninsured persons, see Health insurance coverage in the United States.
For broader coverage of this topic, see Health insurance, Insurance in the United States, and Health care in the United States.
Healthcare in the United States
Government health programs
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP)
Indian Health Service (IHS)
Medicaid / State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
Medicare
Prescription Assistance (SPAP)
Military Health System (MHS) / Tricare
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Private health coverage
Consumer-driven healthcare
Flexible spending account (FSA)
Health reimbursement account (HRA)
Health savings account (HSA)
High-deductible health plan (HDHP)
Medical savings account (MSA)
Private Fee-For-Service (PFFS)
Health insurance in the United States
Health insurance marketplaces
Premium tax credit
Managed care (CCP)
Exclusive provider organization (EPO)
Health maintenance organization (HMO)
Preferred provider organization (PPO)
Medical underwriting
Health care reform law
Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (1986)
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (1996)
Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (2003)
Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (2005)
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (2009)
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010)
State level reform
Dirigo Health (Maine)
Massachusetts health care reform
Oregon Health Plan
SustiNet (Connecticut)
Vermont health care reform
Municipal health coverage
Healthcare in California
Healthy San Francisco
Healthy Way LA
My Health LA
Fair Share Health Care Act (Maryland)
Healthy Howard (Howard Co., Maryland)
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In the United States, health insurance helps pay for medical expenses through privately purchased insurance, social insurance, or a social welfare program funded by the government.[1][2] Synonyms for this usage include "health coverage", "health care coverage", and "health benefits".
In a more technical sense, the term "health insurance" is used to describe any form of insurance providing protection against the costs of medical services. This usage includes both private insurance programs and social insurance programs such as Medicare, which pools resources and spreads the financial risk associated with major medical expenses across the entire population to protect everyone, as well as social welfare programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, which both provide assistance to people who cannot afford health coverage.
In addition to medical expense insurance, "health insurance" may also refer to insurance covering disability or long-term nursing or custodial care needs. Different health insurance provides different levels of financial protection and the scope of coverage can vary widely, with more than 40% of insured individuals reporting that their plans do not adequately meet their needs as of 2007.[3]
The share of Americans without health insurance has been cut in half since 2013. Many of the reforms instituted by the Affordable Care Act of 2010 were designed to extend health care coverage to those without it; however, high cost growth continues unabated.[4] National health expenditures are projected to grow 4.7% per person per year from 2016 to 2025. Public healthcare spending was 29% of federal mandated spending in 1990 and 35% of it in 2000. It is also projected to be roughly half in 2025.[5]
^See, for example, US Census Bureau,"CPS Health Insurance Definitions" Archived May 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
^Kliff, Sarah; Katz, Josh (August 22, 2021). "Hospitals and Insurers Didn't Want You to See These Prices. Here's Why". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
^Consumer Reports, "Are you really covered? Why 4 in 10 Americans can't depend on their health insurance". Archived from the original on September 22, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) September 2007
^"Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010." Archived January 22, 2021, at the Wayback Machine U.S. Census Bureau. Issued September 2011.
^"NHE-Fact-Sheet". www.cms.gov. March 21, 2017. Archived from the original on November 10, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
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