Number Of Americans Without Health Insurance Hits New High

McClatchy:

The continued loss of job-based coverage helped push the number of Americans without health insurance to 47 million last year, the highest total on record and the sixth straight year that the ranks of the uninsured have grown.

New annual Census Bureau survey data released Tuesday showed that the number of uninsured Americans jumped by 2.2 million in 2006, from 15.3 percent of Americans in 2005 to a record-tying 15.8 percent last year. The number of uninsured children increased for the second straight year as well, spiking by more than 611,000 last year to nearly 8.7 million.

Read the whole story: McClatchy

Comments

[FlowerGirl]

09:03 AM on 08/30/2007

America has many problems. One of the biggest is a tendency to lie and to believe their own lies. Is there anywhere a cure for such a virulent case of the Stupids?
I could testify to the quality of health care in England's National Health system, but Right wing idiots wouldn't care. I could remind folks of published comparisons of the quality and cost of health care in various countries. But Right wing idiots wouldn't care. I could point to the scandals of our current system. But know-it-all Right wing idiots wouldn't care.
Those who gave us the war to rid Iraq of WMDs that were an immediate threat to our freedom wouldn't care.
Those who love an administration which improved our economy so much that the median income of the nation is now $1000 less than when Bush toppok office, they won't care.
Those who eagerly await our great president's command to bomb Iran won't care.
And those who listen to Rush Limbaugh regularly won't care.
Devotees of Fox "fair and balanced" reporting won't care.
Those who consider Bush a "uniter, not a divider" won't care.
Those who don't mind that the average American gets poorer health care than Costa Ricans won't care.
And those who believe we should rule the world won't care at all.
But that's nothing: I don't care for those bastards either.

[totalliberal]

03:54 AM on 08/30/2007

["Recently a woman came to the US from Canada to give birth to triplets (or quads) because the Canadian hospital was not equipped to handle multiple births."]





That is probably the stupidest thing I have ever read in my life.

The worlds first (Dion)quintuplets were born in Canada. And lived out their lives too old age.

Like Rushbo, you just make shit up moron.

[ldelp84227]

01:16 PM on 08/29/2007

I am pretty disgusted with the health care situation in this country. I have a political illness, they haven't decided that indoor mold can damage your health so I have suffered for nine years writing to our government and this is going on all over the country. Look at all the floods, mold comes after floods. Hardly any doctors know what to do and many are left with chemical intolerance when their imune system is damaged. Come to find out our cosmetics, cleaning products, you name it are made with chemicals that haven't even been tested for safety. In fact many companies don't even have to tell what goes into a product. There are millions that suffer asthma, migraines, food allergies, etc. when you get ill from mold and have these chemical sensitivities. With all these problems with China recalls you have no idea how the Bush administration has lobbied other countries from making our products safer. I have such a terrible time with just every day shampoos, detergents. I am tired of being sick because our leaders have let all this happen. Recently I bought a vacuum cleaner and it says power cord contains lead. Wash your hands after use. What the heck. Apparently those fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury according to consumer products. It says not to even throw away in the regular trash. I think the people that run this country should do without health insurance and let them see how it is to be so scared waiting for help. Apparently can't afford to make safe products, so why should the people that put us in this situation get medical help. I think it is criminal. The toy problem is only the beginning. Linda

[mrcontinental]

01:14 PM on 08/29/2007

Anyone who thinks our current healthcare system works is braindead.

Greedy bastards are obviously refering to there healthcare oriented stocks. They'll continue to sell out the country for a dividend check while these insurance companies keep killing people by denying claims and concentrating on profits. Barbarians!

[GiveMeStrength]

12:38 PM on 08/29/2007

The Bush Administration has just issued a press release indicating that while it's true 2 million more Americans don't have Health Care Insurance, on the hand there are now 6 new American billionaires on the Forbes list. Hey, so things must be good!

[loki]

12:16 PM on 08/29/2007

I loved this story on Spin Beck the other night. happened to flip to CNN just as it was on. He had some ahole from a conservative stink tank who was saying that the numbers published are totally bogus because many of those people could have applied for medicaid if they would have only wanted to.
Yeah, to be on medicaid you have to have something like no more than 2000 in personal assets for a family of 4. that includes property, cars, personal bank accounts, ect...
So for a someone who is working at walmart, trying to support a couple kids, even if there is another spouse in the picture, they still wont get health insurance. And according to Spin Beck and his Stink Tank buddy, I guess they should just quite their jobs, give away everything they own, and then they can apply for medicaid. Sounds like typical republican care and compassion for the American Public.

[Warmglobe]

02:49 PM on 08/29/2007

Well actually you wouldn't expect to make a lot at Wal-Mart....this is the liberal "But what about" scenario....this doesn't sound like a difficult problem to solve to me...:)

[Thalia]

11:04 AM on 08/29/2007

This is maybe the scariest thing going on in America today, the cost of healthcare and health insurance. It's a runaway train.

Americans need to get smart and drop their plans en masse and send the insurance companies into bankruptcy. All I hear is talk about how to get Americans insured. I hear NO talk about reining in the greed of the insurance and medical industries.

[Warmglobe]

11:55 AM on 08/29/2007

See this is the real pinch..they don't want people making money...that is the real scariest thing.

[gakabani]

10:25 AM on 08/29/2007

The issue is social responsibility and fairness.
The Institute of Medicine has published many white papers dealing with this supreme issue that is eating us inside-out.
America's health care system is falling apart even though we have the best technological advances in, diagnostic, therapy, biological and many devices.
The data indicates that an unregulated for-profit system is no longer sustainable.

The Canadian system however, is preventive, whereas the American system is catastrophic. BIG difference.

[jimpryor99]

10:34 AM on 08/29/2007

The issue is free market economy vs. socialism.

[MajorKong]

10:43 AM on 08/29/2007

Free market answer to heath care:

1. Cost of health care goes up
2. Lots of people can't afford health care and die
3. Demand for health care goes down
4. Cost of health care goes down

[helonias]

11:35 AM on 08/29/2007

No its greed vs, christianity

[Warmglobe]

10:10 AM on 08/29/2007

As the liberals attempt to whip up support for nationalized health care they like to point to headlines like this to scare us.

Many of the so called "un-insured" are perfectly healthy and employed people who refuse to pay for health care. These should not be counted in a real study.
Beware of this scam!
Also note that no mention is made of a lot of the other problems with health care generated by those who abuse it. These include illegals who actually get free health care on our dime,unnecessary treatments, ridiculous lawsuits, and redundant tests to protect doctors from the lawsuits.
Also included should be the amount we pay for services we never use. My 72 year old mother doesn't need fertility coverage, but she pays for it. (and so do I for that matter).
But, I'm afraid, the sheep are ready to fall for this scam.

[kasa5400]

10:28 AM on 08/29/2007

Geez....you people just make up stuff. Tell a lie often enough and I guess you believe it.

"Many of the so called "un-insured" are perfectly healthy and employed people who refuse to pay for health care."

Simply not true. Multiple studies have established who the uninsured are and why they are uninsured:

3-4% of people refuse or decline coverage which they can afford in terms of premiums, deductibles and copays.

The other 96%:

(1) can not obtain non-group coverage because of pre-existing ocnditons and/or

(2) can not pay the cost of policies

93% of the uninsured have income of less than $60,000

94% of the uninsured have incomes that are Below 400% Federal Poverty Level ($41,200 individual: $53,200 2 people, $68600 3 people....)

In my state, a non-group policy (80/20) for an individual averages $4800 in premiums with a deductible of $4000 and no coverage of office visits or prescriptions. Over $8800 a year before the policy kicks in a pretty stiff on an income of less than $41,200.

A non-group family policy averages $12000 with a $6000 -10,000 deductible.

I would give you links to the studies but you probably are incapable of reading the endless pages of data.

[Warmglobe]

11:53 AM on 08/29/2007

Oh I have read quite a bit on the subject and don't need lectures thanks. It isn't what you are claiming simple as that.

[helonias]

11:34 AM on 08/29/2007

Utter bullsh*t

My fried who has his own business and makes a living decided to cancel his family of 4 health insurence @ $12,000 a year so he can send his oldest to a decent college.

[robodweeb]

09:14 AM on 08/29/2007

The other part of the Census report said that family incomes are up (slightly), which Bush boasted about.

However, this being Bushworld...

"Experts said the rise in income was mainly a reflection of an increase in the number of family members entering the workplace or working longer hours.

Average wages for men and women actually DECLINED for the THIRD consecutive year."

NYT

Incomes have not reached their pre-Bush levels.

The number of those living below the poverty level also declined but it was only among Hispanics.

[mactheknife]

09:08 AM on 08/29/2007

Whaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

The majority of those not insured CHOOSE not to be insured.

Nobody is denied treatment - all you have to do is wait in line at the emergency room with the illegal aliens. The wait is still less than in Canada and England.

[robodweeb]

09:19 AM on 08/29/2007

Took me three months to get a urologist appointment here in the good ole USA.

And I wasn't given a choice as to which doctor to see.

[mactheknife]

10:09 AM on 08/29/2007

You would wait longer than that for heart bypass surgury in Canada and you don't get to choose your doctor.

Recently a woman came to the US from Canada to give birth to triplets (or quads) because the Canadian hospital was not equipped to handle multiple births.

Single-payer (Government run) systems suck.

[helonias]

09:40 AM on 08/29/2007

They choose that they can't pay $500 a month for themselves or $12,000 a year for a family of 4.

Or eat, or pay rent.

Tough choice.

[mactheknife]

10:14 AM on 08/29/2007

I pay it. My children pay it.
I prefer to pay for a health care plan of MY choosing rather than pay $12,000 in additional taxes so the government can determine what my health care plan is.

[jimpryor99]

10:33 AM on 08/29/2007

I pay $200 a month for a family of four and I'm perfectly happy with my PPO. I don't need the government to tax me to death to provide me free health insurance.

[helonias]

08:44 AM on 08/29/2007

One nation under god

Who's kid said:

"You treat me as you treat the least of you"

What and who do the Repubs pray to and for?

[chronic]

08:38 AM on 08/29/2007

America has evolved into a nation of selfish, greedy, ignorant people.

Democrats = HealthCare for all "GOOD/MORAL"


Republicans = HealthCare for all "BAD/IMMORAL"


Where do you stand?

[getoffmedz]

08:36 AM on 08/29/2007

Bush is asking for $50 BILLION more for Iraq.

[drkazmd65]

08:21 AM on 08/29/2007

Yep,... the economy is FANTASTIC!!!!

Unless you are one of us peons.