In 2010, 8.9 million of the 60 million Americans between aged 50 and 64 did not have health insurance. For many of these older Americans in their pre-Medicare years, their lack of coverage did not result from a lack of trying: More than one in every five applications submitted for insurance by Americans aged 50 to 64.6 was rejected by health insurers. And many of those who were offered coverage couldn’t afford the high premiums they were given.