America’s unusual health care system that links coverage to jobs means that during bad economic times, people who find themselves jobless are also suddenly without protection from medical costs.

This is especially worrisome for the millions of people who have already lost jobs because a public health crisis has virtually shut down the U.S. economy. According to one estimate, the economic downturn that the novel coronavirus outbreak is triggering could leave as many as 40 million people uninsured.

While the American social safety net has large holes and the health care system is fragmented and confusing, the newly unemployed have several ways to replace employer health benefits.

But there are barriers to getting new coverage, including wide variances in what’s available …continued .
[Source: Huffington Post]