Relying on existing research to predict the effects of such a
fundamental reform on the currently uninsured is potentially problematic,
because existing work generally focuses on the decision
to enroll in employer-sponsored health insurance. The currently
uninsured are rarely offered the opportunity to purchase insurance
through an employer (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2004), calling into
question the utility of existing estimates for understanding insurance
demand of this population. Not only are uninsured individuals
substantially poorer than the average worker offered employer
insurance, but the decision to, say, purchase subsidized insurance
from a state exchange might fundamentally differ from the decision
to enroll in an employer-sponsored health plan, which takes
place in the context of co-workers, an employer and potentially
benefits counselors