She can be covered as a dependent on her parents' plan until she is 26, unless she gets a job with an employer-sponsored coverage.

By taxing health care premiums greater than $15,000, the president's proposal will lead families and employers away from employer-sponsored coverage.

The State of Alaska offered the first employer-sponsored coverage for long-term care, she said.

Those who do not have employer-sponsored coverage available can buy it on an individual basis.

Through the 1990s, managed care grew from about 25% US employees with employer-sponsored coverage to the vast majority.

More than 20 million people change jobs every year, and 12 million of them, with 7 million dependents, have employer-sponsored coverage, the Administration said.

A continued erosion of employer-sponsored coverage was the main reason for the latest increase, the bureau said.

Men accounted for two-thirds of the increase in the number of uninsured, apparently because they were more likely to lose employer-sponsored coverage.

Ending employer-sponsored coverage, of course, would not stop the cost surge.

He proposed a new tax credit to offset 25 percent of the cost of health insurance bought by individuals who lack access to employer-sponsored coverage.