By Dan Corcoran

EUGENE, Ore. -- An increasing number of Oregonians in the middle class are going without any health insurance.

That's according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which says the number of uninsured middle-class residents jumped from 98,000 in 1998 to 170,000 in 2008.

The report shows the cost of health insurance increased 70% during that decade while Oregon's median income was dropping.

Some choose not to pay for insurance while others say the option for insurance doesn't exist at all.

"The dwindling middle class is a problem for us all and this is a symptom of that. It's disappearing jobs, disappearing insurance. I think it's less of a choice, more of a forced hand," said Michael McCarthy of Eugene, who is uninsured.

The report also says Oregon businesses are less likely now to fully cover their employees as the cost of health care and insurance goes up.