Most people know they're a pink slip away from being uninsured or a pre-existing condition away from being uninsurable. Now, even people secure in their health insurance status have a new concern to ponder. America's uninsured citizens, expected to number 48 million in 2005, add to the average cost of the health insurance premium for a family by an average of $922 annually, according to research reported Wednesday by Families USA, an advocacy group for the uninsured. Individual policies cost an extra $341 because of the cost of the uninsured. Much of those costs is picked up by employers covering their employees, but businesses are increasingly asking their workers to contribute more to the cost of health insurance.

The costs get tacked on because uninsured people eventually need, and receive, medical care. The problem is that they often put off getting preventive care until symptoms can no longer be tolerated. Then, they go to a doctor or to a hospital and struggle to pay the bill. About 35 percent of these bills are paid out of the pockets of the uninsured.

The remaining costs, totaling $43 billion, are paid by two sources. About a third of the tab is picked up by government programs. The other two thirds is paid through higher premiums for people with health insurance.

Find out more: Read about the study on the Families USA website.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance has an interactive tool to help you find the right health plan.