Economic Trends

THE HEALTH-CARE GAP WIDENS

Health reform has temporarily disappeared from the political radar screen, but public opinion polls indicate it remains Americans' No.1 concern. Based on an analysis of the latest data, the Employee Benefits Research Institute reports that 18.1% of the nonelderly, or 40.9 million people, lacked health insurance of any kind in 1993--up from 16.1%, or 34.4 million, in 1989.

Some 85% of uninsured people lived in families that were headed by workers, most of whom worked year-round. Since 1989, the percentage of the nonelderly enjoying employer coverage has fallen from 65.9% to 60.8%.BY GENE KORETZ