Job-Hoppers Risk Coverage // Health Care Lag Means 21.9% Are Left Uninsured

A new job could be bad for your health.

In reporting Thursday that 2 million Americans lose healthinsurance every month, Families USA of Washington, D.C., found thatswitching jobs is nearly as likely to result in no coverage as islosing a job. Among the formerly insured, 22.6 percent said it wasdue to the loss of a job while 21.9 percent said it was because theyswitched jobs.

Arnold Bennett, a spokesman for the consumer group, said thejob-switching number was surprising, especially in comparison to lostjobs. Conventional wisdom says most people change jobs to improvetheir economic lot.

Midwesterners who say they lost health insurance because ofswitching …