The number with insurance in the United States rose from 249.8 million to 253.4 million

It would seem that this number is totally missing from the debate.  In contrast our Canadian neighbors have a population of just over 33 million (July 2008 estimate). The United Kingdom can boast a 2009 estimated population of about 61.5 million.  Unless we are missing something, those numbers are a far cry from the 250 million plus that have health coverage in the United States. Well what about France, a country some say has the best healthcare in the world, well they are estimated to have (as of January 2009)  just over 65 million citizens.  Germany has over 82 million (December 31, 2008 estimate).

Based on the most recent data then, the United States has more individuals covered by health insurance than the combined entire populations of Canada, England, Germany and France.  This is a health care crisis?  Hardly.  We have advocated repeatedly common sense reforms that can address much of the issue regarding those without insurance as well as common sense regulation that can achieve much of what is REALLY needed. Real Health Reform remains within our grasp, but much of the contents of House bill 3200 are ideologically driven social engineering without any basis.

We again call on the Senate to exercise is wisdom in greatly modifying its positions in order to achieve meaningful, common sense, sustainable, Real Health Reform . . . obi jo

47 Million Uninsured: Truth or Propaganda?

President Barack Obama claims there are 47 million Americans without health insurance. A simple check with the U.S. Census Bureau would have told him otherwise.

The President said: “This is not just about the 47 million Americans who have no health insurance.” That assertion conflicts with data in the Census Bureau report “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007.” The report was issued in August 2008 and contains the most up-to-date official data on the number of uninsured in the U.S. The report discloses that there were 45.65 million people in the U.S. who did not have health insurance in 2007.

However, it also reveals that there were 9.73 million foreigners — foreign-born non-citizens who were in the country in 2007 — included in that number. So the number of uninsured Americans was actually 35.92 million. And of those, 9.1 million people making more than $75,000 per year did not choose to purchase health insurance. That brings the number of Americans who lack health insurance presumably for financial reasons down to less than 27 million.

The Census Bureau report also shows that the number of people without insurance actually went down in 2007 compared to the previous year — from 47 million to 45.65 million — while the number with insurance rose from 249.8 million to 253.4 million.  The next Census Bureau report disclosing health insurance data, with 2008 numbers, is scheduled to be released in August, and could figure in the healthcare reform debate.

Part of the apparent over-counting of the uninsured in the Census data is likely due to a serious undercounting of Medicaid enrollees. While the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported Medicaid enrollment of 51 million in 2002, the Census reported only 33 million, a difference of 18 million people. This trend continues in 2003 with a .7 percentage point increase in Medicaid enrollment by the Census Bureau, putting that number at 35 million, but CMS reports 53 million enrollees. This discrepancy is, to say the least, problematic.

So what can we say about this number, that seems to have been accepted on face value without any critical analysis.

The Census Bureau data is misleading. The Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS) is a misleading measure of those who lack health insurance in America and an imprecise tool for analyzing the dimensions of the problem. Analysis of data from earlier Census Bureau and other government reports shows that roughly 7 million are illegal immigrants; roughly 9 million are persons on Medicaid; 3.5 million are persons already eligible for government health programs; and approximately 20 million have, or live, in families with incomes greater than twice the federal poverty level, or $41,300 for a family of four.

Most of the uninsured are in and out of health coverage. The professional literature also shows that, overwhelmingly, the vast majority of the uninsured are persons who are in and out of coverage, largely as a result of job changes. Only a small number of the uninsured are chronically uninsured. For most of the uninsured, the problem is fixable if policymakers simply take steps to make health insurance portable, so the insurance policy sticks to the person, not the job.

Current Federal Tax Policy Fuels Uninsurance. A substantial portion of uninsured Americans are not poor but rather middle-class working Americans who are forced to face a major tax penalty, resulting in premium increases of 40 to 50 percent, if they do not obtain health insurance through the place of work. For millions of Americans without job based health insurance, both the tax policy, and the excessive regulatory burden on health insurance in the states, prices families out of coverage. Current federal tax policy then unnecessarily drives millions into the ranks of the uninsured.

So, let’s get inside those rough numbers. Who tends to be uninsured?

They tend to be younger, with those most likely to be uninsured between ages 19 and 24.  Almost all adults age 65 and above are covered primarily by Medicare, and many of them have supplemental private insurance. Men are a little bit more likely to be uninsured. Married individuals and persons with more than a high school education are much more likely to be insured. Most of the uninsured (88 percent) are in good to excellent health. The likelihood of being insured rises with income and full-time work status, although nearly half (47%) of the uninsured are full-time workers. Hispanics are considerably more likely than those in any other ethnic category to be uninsured (over 30%). More than a 25% of the uninsured are foreign-born. By Census Bureau estimates, about 10 million uninsured are not citizens and half of them are illegal immigrants.

Canada’s population clock – http://www.statcan.gc.ca/edu/clock-horloge/edu06f_0001-eng.htm

What is the current population of England? – http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_current_population_of_England

Federal Statistical Office of Germany – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Statistical_Office_of_Germany

France – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France

Uninsured count jumps to 47 million – http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/09/17/gvl10917.htm

The Census Bureau data is misleading.- http://www.heritage.org/Press/NewsReleases/nr082807a.cfm

Obama Falsely Claims There Are 47 Million Uninsured Americans – http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=51443

What DO We Know About the Uninsured? – http://www.american.com/archive/2008/july-august-magazine-contents/what-do-we-know-about-the-uninsured

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