Record Number of Americans Lack Health Insurance

[JODO 2]

Record Number of Americans Lack Health Insurance By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay ReporterTue Aug 28, 11:46 PM ET

TUESDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A record number of Americans are without health insurance, according to new U.S. Census Bureau statistics released Tuesday.

Some of the trend can be explained by employers who are curtailing coverage or making it too costly for lower income workers to afford, the report said.

"The number of people without health insurance coverage increased from 44.8 million in 2005 to 47 million in 2006," David S. Johnson, chief of the bureau's Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, said during a teleconference Tuesday.

The percentage of Americans without health insurance rose to 15.8 percent in 2006 from 15.3 percent in 2005, Johnson added. "This is the second consecutive year of increase," he said.

At the same time, the number of people with health insurance increased to 249.8 million in 2006, from 249 million in 2005. The number of Americans covered by private health insurance and government insurance remained about the same, according to the report, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2006.

The problems of the uninsured are particularly acute among children. The percent and the number of children under 18 without health insurance increased to 11.7 percent from 10.9 percent from 2005 to 2006, and to 8.7 million from 8 million, respectively.

"The number of children covered by private insurance decreased from 65.8 percent in 2005 to 64.6 percent in 2006," Johnson said. "The increase in the uninsured rate can be attributed to the decline in private coverage."

Moreover, 19.3 percent of children in poverty had no health insurance.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20070829/hl_hs...ZpUB6JMasUR.3QA

[Jasman0717 9]

This is nuts that we can't get national health care!

[Marilyn. 340]

hubby wants to quit his job soon but I am terrified of not having health insurance.. he has awesome insurance now...

but yesterday he said that maybe he will just work part-time with the old job but look for a new job in the field he wants to go into to.. that way he can still keep all his benefits, at least until he gets settled in his new career...

[SteveLaura 0]

The problems of the uninsured are particularly acute among children. The percent and the number of children under 18 without health insurance increased to 11.7 percent from 10.9 percent from 2005 to 2006, and to 8.7 million from 8 million, respectively.

"The number of children covered by private insurance decreased from 65.8 percent in 2005 to 64.6 percent in 2006," Johnson said. "The increase in the uninsured rate can be attributed to the decline in private coverage."

Moreover, 19.3 percent of children in poverty had no health insurance.

There's tomorrow's workforce, the ones we want and expect to strengthen this country's economy. Brilliant.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Adding the usual spin on this you end up with.

"Record Number of Americans are Lazy".

Yeah. I'm sceptical of that too

[GaryC 7]

No health insurance? You're probably illegal

Census: Skyrocketing numbers without medical coverage reflect migration

Posted: July 18, 2007

1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

WASHINGTON – While "Sicko" filmmaker Michael Moore is blaming greed and a broken health care system for the inability of Americans to get health-care insurance, it turns out a heavy percentage of those without coverage are illegal aliens.

According to the latest Census Bureau figures, 43.6 percent of non-citizens in the U.S. are without health insurance. In addition, 33.6 percent of those born elsewhere are without coverage.

By contrast, only 13.4 percent of native-born Americans are without health insurance. And 17.9 percent of naturalized citizens are without coverage.

The statistics will be no surprise to health-care providers. Hospital emergency rooms in Florida and California have been forced to close their doors as a result of increased demands by uninsured and under-insured patients – many of them illegal aliens.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article....RTICLE_ID=56725

[ChristinaM 0]

I'd love to know the percentage of non-citizens who are providing their USC spouse with insurance through their job...

Seriously, I don't know how people can live without it. When I think about the time my hubby and I spent uninsured when I first got here, I thank my lucky stars that neither of us had a serious medical condition in those 5 months. It's terrifying just to think about.

[*JG* 2]

I'd love to know the percentage of non-citizens who are providing their USC spouse with insurance through their job...

Seriously, I don't know how people can live without it. When I think about the time my hubby and I spent uninsured when I first got here, I thank my lucky stars that neither of us had a serious medical condition in those 5 months. It's terrifying just to think about.

Count me in that poll.....September 30th and then he's finally getting it through his job!!!!!!

I would never be without even if I had to work 3 jobs to afford it!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

WASHINGTON – While "Sicko" filmmaker Michael Moore is blaming greed and a broken health care system for the inability of Americans to get health-care insurance, it turns out a heavy percentage of those without coverage are illegal aliens.

Actually, if those yahoos at World Net Daily would actually see the film, Moore focuses on those Americans who HAVE health insurance.

[tom&tata 2]

I had to go to ER on Sunday night after 2 days of not able to hold anything down (no food no water), 2 weeks after I moved. We had no idea how it happened, never had that condition before.

I was enrolled in my husband's coverage 1 week before it happened. Otherwise it would have been at least $1.5k dent on our pocket.

Edited August 29, 2007 by tom&tata

[*JG* 2]

I had to go to ER on Sunday night after 2 days of not able to hold anything down (no food no water), 2 weeks after I moved. We had no idea how it happened, never had that condition before.

I was enrolled in my husband's coverage 1 week before it happened. Otherwise it would have been at least $1.5k dent on our pocket.

Andre had to go to the ER less then a month after he was here with a sickle cell episode. They wanted to keep him overnight. I was like "what will you do for him". When they said IV fluids and pain pills, I told them I could give him water and pain pills at home. As it was, it was a $4,000 bill. Luckily, my health insurance backdated the coverage to the date we were married. I had to make up premiums; but in the end, it was really worth it.

[mawilson 2,133]

Ok, so the NHS (UK's National Health Service) is not the best healthcare system in the world,

but it sure as heck beats no healthcare. At the end of the day, anyone who needs healthcare

in the UK gets it -- no payments, no copayments, no nothing.

Seriously, what's so horrible about extending Medicare to everyone?

Edited August 29, 2007 by mawilson

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Ok, so the NHS (UK's National Health Service) is not the best healthcare system in the world,

but it sure as heck beats no healthcare. At the end of the day, anyone who needs healthcare

in the UK gets it -- no payments, no copayments, no nothing.

Seriously, what's so horrible about extending Medicare to everyone?

STFU you communist.

[almaty 19]

Ok, so the NHS (UK's National Health Service) is not the best healthcare system in the world,

but it sure as heck beats no healthcare. At the end of the day, anyone who needs healthcare

in the UK gets it -- no payments, no copayments, no nothing.

Seriously, what's so horrible about extending Medicare to everyone?

STFU you communist.

..that was funny i don't care who you are

[Dan J 277]

Ok, so the NHS (UK's National Health Service) is not the best healthcare system in the world,

but it sure as heck beats no healthcare. At the end of the day, anyone who needs healthcare

in the UK gets it -- no payments, no copayments, no nothing.

Seriously, what's so horrible about extending Medicare to everyone?

It will probably happen eventually, but I think the states will do it first. Massachusetts already requires everyone to get health insurance, though I don't think they have a program that allows everyone to buy from the state health care program.

15.3 percent of 300 million is about 46 million people without health insurance.