Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
- Millions of Americans are losing their jobs and their health insurance as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
- Around half of Americans get their insurance through employers.
- Biden, Sanders, and Trump have very different visions for improving the nation's healthcare system and expanding insurance.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Millions of Americans are losing their jobs as a result of the economic shutdown from the coronavirus pandemic. That raises the prospect many will be losing their health insurance too, making it harder for people to gain access to medical care during an extraordinary public health emergency.
Around half of Americans get their health insurance through their employer, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. This establishes a strong connection between work and insurance coverage in the US.
Initial data from the Labor Department showed 3.3 million Americans filed for unemployment claims in the week ending March 21, a record-breaking spike. Some experts estimate this week's claims could be even higher.
Jobless people can sign up to get healthcare from Obamacare, either buying a federally subsidized insurance plan on the state exchanges or enrolling in Medicaid. But the latter route is harder for people living in 14 states that chose not to expand the program.
Read more: Bank of America examined the stock market during every recession since 1929 and concluded the recent meltdown is not over. Here's its trading strategy for a deeper crash.
Extending an employer plan through COBRA is also an option. But it would require a person to pay 102% of the plan's cost, rendering this option unaffordable for many as employer-based plans tend to be expensive.
Here's how Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, and President Trump would attempt to remake the healthcare system.
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