9cff82d2__Your_Indispensable_Guide_TIME__What_it_is
[Term] The Uninsured [Why it matters] Research has shown that the uninsured do not get regular routine medical care, which means they have higher rates of chronic and preventable diseases, driving up the nationwide cost of health care. The uninsured often seek care only when they are very sick and then go to emergency rooms, which has caused massive overcrowding in ERs across the country. Hospitals must care for the uninsured regardless of their ability to pay for services, and these costs often get absorbed by hospitals and passed on to paying patients and insurance companies, driving up health costs for everyone. Provisions in reforms would get many of the uninsured covered, though not all. When young, healthy people elect not to get health insurance, it skews the insurance risk pools, driving up average premium prices. [What it is] 
An estimated 46 million Americans. Several groups make up a large portion of the uninsured: young adults who can't afford health insurance and don't feel they need it; people without employer-sponsored health insurance who have pre-existing conditions that make buying an independent policy cost-prohibitive; families and individuals who aren't poor enough to qualify for Medicaid but who are too poor to afford health insurance; employees of small businesses who choose not to or can't afford to offer insurance to employees; and illegal immigrants.
Understanding the Health-Care Debate: Your Indispensable Guide-TIME
What it is