Number without health insurance at 46.3 million

[ray245]

WASHINGTON – The Census Bureau reports that the number of people lacking health insurance rose to 46.3 million in 2008.

That's up from 45.7 million in 2007, due to a continuing erosion of employer-provided insurance. Still, the level remained just below the peak of 47 million who were uninsured in 2006, because of the growth of government insurance programs such as Medicaid for the poor.

The nation's poverty rate increased to 13.2 percent, up from the 12.5 percent in 2007. That meant there were 39.8 million people living in poverty. It was the highest rate since 1997.

The statistics released Thursday cover the first full year of the current recession.

The median — or midpoint — household income declined slightly to $50,303.

AP

It's kinda sad that there are more and more people who are coming out to oppose healthcare reforms and the UHC, when more people are unable to gain medical coverage.

[Knife]

The problem is, and what Republicans and their Insurance CEO masters are counting on, is that leaves 250 million with insurance who are scared that they'll get a worse deal than they have now. Few people are fond of, and/or estatic about their insurance policy; however, they fear that a shitty deal is better than a totally fucked up deal. They are wrong of course, fearing change more than anything, and it is understandable, but in the end they are being used to prop up the shitty deal they've got.

[Serafina]

The problem is, and what Republicans and their Insurance CEO masters are counting on, is that leaves 250 million with insurance who are scared that they'll get a worse deal than they have now. Few people are fond of, and/or estatic about their insurance policy; however, they fear that a shitty deal is better than a totally fucked up deal. They are wrong of course, fearing change more than anything, and it is understandable, but in the end they are being used to prop up the shitty deal they've got.

Which is just as odd, because from what i know, most of your insurances just plain suck.

Seriously, not getting coverage for anthing below a certain treshold, anything above a certain treshold, only getting a maximum amount paid for in your whole life and so on.

Seriously, thats not even worth of being called insurance.

Seriously, i would like to know how many americans actually have health insurance which is equal to mine.
Note that i live a poor, wellfare-dependant existance, and have FULL coverage for everything which requires a recipe, every visit of a doctor, every surgery, psychological treatment - all i have to pay for myself is stuff like Aspirin.

Regards
Fina

[Alerik the Fortunate]

Americans don't know that, though.
What they have they think is normal by experience, and they are told that it is the best available and everybody else is suffering worse. And/or at least that the cost to society would not be worth it if we did implement it even if it it worked well and was itself cheaper, because birth rates would plummet and most industries would become unprofitable and Muslim immigrants would outbreed us and riot in the streets and we would do nothing because we had all become so lazy with our new entitlement complexes, thus allowing the government to legislate every aspect of the country into total stagnation until we lose economic and military supremacy, allowing China and India to declare their hegemony over the planet ushering in the age of the Antichrist. Or some such collection of not quite fully articulated fears. This is not uncommon thinking in America, just varying in intensity and specificity.

[Knife]

Which is just as odd, because from what i know, most of your insurances just plain suck.

Oh, I agree. Most American's agree, but like I said, most are scared a new one would be worse (read: from a government policy).

Seriously, not getting coverage for anthing below a certain treshold, anything above a certain treshold, only getting a maximum amount paid for in your whole life and so on.

Seriously, thats not even worth of being called insurance.

Agreed, but I'm a proponent for UHC so you're preaching to the choir.

[Darth Wong]

The problem is, and what Republicans and their Insurance CEO masters are counting on, is that leaves 250 million with insurance who are scared that they'll get a worse deal than they have now. Few people are fond of, and/or estatic about their insurance policy; however, they fear that a shitty deal is better than a totally fucked up deal. They are wrong of course, fearing change more than anything, and it is understandable, but in the end they are being used to prop up the shitty deal they've got.

Which is just as odd, because from what i know, most of your insurances just plain suck.

Yes, but they won't find that out until they try to use it (in which case the rest of the population just assumes it was their fault somehow) or they actually understand the meaning of all the conditions of the insurance ... which almost none of them do, because they aren't any more likely to read contracts than software EULAs. You could probably slip in a sentence in the fine print saying "in the event of a serious prolonged illness, the continuation of the contract requires that the spouse of the client be willing to perform oral gratification on executives' members if requested" and most customers would never notice.

[The Spartan]

Case in point: most insurances don't cover you if you're harmed in an act of war or terrorism.

[Ryan Thunder]

A libertarian I know is attempting to say that most of that 46.3 million are illegals or willfully not taking government assistance.

Can I tell him to shut his lying trap or is there actually any truth to this?

[Darth Wong]

A libertarian I know is attempting to say that most of that 46.3 million are illegals or willfully not taking government assistance.

Can I tell him to shut his lying trap or is there actually any truth to this?

Ask him to back up his claim. Isn't that the most obvious thing to do?

[Knife]

A libertarian I know is attempting to say that most of that 46.3 million are illegals or willfully not taking government assistance.

Can I tell him to shut his lying trap or is there actually any truth to this?

Er...no. 46 million people include those who are so rich they can out right buy it, those so poor they can't afford it but don't fall into Medicare or Medicaid. Granted, I'm sure there are some illegals who can claim this distinction, but the number doesn't include them all. A lot of people of that 46 million are the ones who either make a calculated risk, young and sure they won't need it so why buy it, or those who just don't have the money to do it. Their children may qualify for Medicaid, but they sure the hell don't.

However, it is amusing to note, even if all the 46 million people were illegals, you're going to pay for them anyway when they go to the ER and can't be turned away, the ER just makes everything more expensive to make up for the loss. Meaning, all the people with insurance pay more, of course the insurance company wants out of that extra cost; which means the policy holder pays them. So, you pay for them anyway.

[Ryan Thunder]

A libertarian I know is attempting to say that most of that 46.3 million are illegals or willfully not taking government assistance.

Can I tell him to shut his lying trap or is there actually any truth to this?

Ask him to back up his claim. Isn't that the most obvious thing to do?

Thing is that there are quite a few millions of illegals living in the states, enough that it could be them. I'm just asking if anybody knows what the breakdown is so I can wave it in his face later.

I just don't know where else to look, as strange as that sounds.

[Knife]

http://www.healthreform.gov/

This site has an interactive map with healthcare statistics per state. For example: In California it says

* 19 percent of people in California are uninsured, and 71 percent of them are in families with at least one full-time worker.7
* The percent of Californians with employer coverage is declining: from 58 to 54 percent between 2000 and 2007.8
* While small businesses make up 77 percent of California businesses,9 only 46 percent of them offered health coverage benefits in 2006.10
* Choice of health insurance is limited in California. Kaiser Permanente alone constitutes 24 percent of the health insurance market share in California, with the top two insurance providers accounting for 44 percent.11
* Choice is even more limited for people with pre-existing conditions. In California, premiums can vary based on demographic factors and health status, and coverage can exclude pre-existing conditions or even be denied completely in some cases.

[Ryan Thunder]

Oh, wow. That is incredibly helpful. Thanks very much, Knife.