Nearly 59 Million Americans Lack Health Insurance: CDC

WASHINGTON -- Nearly 59 million Americans went without health insurance coverage for at least part of 2010, many of them with conditions or diseases that needed treatment, federal health officials said on Tuesday.

They said 4 million more Americans went without insurance in the first part of 2010 than during the same time in 2008.

"Both adults and kids lost private coverage over the past decade," Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a news briefing.

Read the whole story: Reuters

Comments

[4insure]

03:38 PM on 11/11/2010

Why don't we all just open up all our purses and pull out all of the monopoly money we have (just like the Gov.) and pay for everyone to have everything they need? If our dear Government hadn't bankrupted this nation, then maybe we could all afford to have everything we desire. It's a wonderful idea to provide this service but, WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING TO COME FROM IF YOU DON'T HAVE JOBS????

http://www.selfhealthinsurance.com

[E4B32787]

01:54 PM on 11/13/2010

Where's the money going to come from? Like Ross said 18 years ago, we should study the various health systems used in the other industrial countries and copy the best one. The savings on health costs would pay for the uninsured. The rest of the industrial countries aren't wrong, while we're right.

Want some more money? Then, we need to stop playing the world's policemen, with more military spending than the rest of the world combined.

Want jobs? We should have listened to Ross 18 years ago, when he said that free trade would create a giant sucking sound of jobs leaving the country. Well, they left, particularly in the manufacturing sectors, and we have a lot of crumbling empty factory buildings to show for it. End free trade. Despite the never ending reliance on financial ideology used to defend free trade, the data shows it isn't working.

Our money problems lies in part with the public's acceptance of a "fiscal conservative" as one who believes that we should spend 50% more per capita for health care then people in other countries, and that would should spend limitless sums to be the world's policeman. These so called "fiscal conservatives" are anything but fiscally conservative.

[LovingHope]

12:01 AM on 11/11/2010

Thanks to the Republicans. Our President tried his best to help all these people, and he got attacked for it.

[Jayk4444]

02:43 AM on 11/12/2010

No Republican voted for the bill. The Democrats own HCR. If they wanted better legislation, they could have passed that as easily as they passed this weak law.

[texadonkey]

03:51 PM on 11/10/2010

Why aren't they VOTING.

[Marie Russell-Barker]

02:42 PM on 11/10/2010

How many of you though that only the poor was without health insurance? Well think again it happened to the the dry tree as well. Some was against it because they said there were no bipartisan, others because they wanted Public Options or single Payer so they all became angry and did not vote this pass election or voted for the other side either way it was for the other side.

Funny looking back and thinking how selfish you all are. To those who say that there is no bipartisan ship how do you get bipartisan if the other side refuses to corporate. When did the President promise a single payer in. or a Public Options in. he never said that so who are you angry at yourself because you thought this would have been a better way.

To those of you who have not bought into the pool for health care why not, can't you see that the Republican used that to scare you into not to getting health care becsause they realize that once you got it you would fight to keep it.

I realize that some don't have jobs now but go to the States and get Medicaid you need help and should be able to ask your state for help nothing beats a try like staying home. Health Care is not a privilege put a right, think about your neighbor your family yourself.

[Actraiser]

06:34 PM on 11/10/2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acc6Wn_BWlk

[mwsomerset]

02:16 PM on 11/10/2010

While I might not possibly see it until I am receiving Medicare...Universal health care for all IS coming to the USA. Say what you want about the Health Care law...it is a start. There is no way that the USA can compete with other countries without it. At some point the corporations are going to realize that it is indeed in their best interest to have universal heath care for all...saves the corporations big bucks. It's just a matter of time..If the Dems take over the House again in 2012 and increase their numbers in the Senate...it may happen sooner. The public option will most certainly be added to the Health care law if this happens.

[carlwhart]

04:36 PM on 11/10/2010

The one pathetic chance we had at universal health care has passed, and it will never come again. I wish I were as niave as you are and could believe in this fantasy, but Obama squandered the only chance we'll ever have for universal health care in our lifetimes, and now that the Brown Shirts are taking over, you can forget it.

As a diehard progressive liberal who was an enthusiastic supporter of Obama, I naturally assumed that universal coverage would be the centerpiece of healthcare reform. I am profoundly disappointed with Obama that he not only didn't fight hard for single payer or public option but actually chose not to fight for it at all. I didn't have health insurance before Obama and I still don't. Since Obama considered the public option as "not a viable option" I now consider Obama "not a viable option" in 2012. My apologies to Hilary Clinton. We need someone with backbone in the White House. We need a fighter.

HOWARD DEAN IN 2012!!!!!!

[Actraiser]

06:37 PM on 11/10/2010

I agree with almost everything you're saying, but I don't see how Dean will make things better. He and Kucinich and other so-called 'liberals' capitulated to Baucus and Obama's bailout to the big health insurance industry.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/73485--howard-dean-cites-gop-opposition-as-reason-to-pass-senate-bill

I think we'll have to go beyond the democrats to third parties before the stranglehold big health insurance has on America is ever removed.

[RKWM]

07:27 PM on 11/10/2010

How ridiculous! I am so sick of dolts who thought that we would move directly to a single payor plan no matter what bill passed. The industry that is healthcare is the largest employer in almost half of the towns in this nation.

Hospitals have long since been the most lucrative division of many, many multicorps. Most importantly, bio industries and pharmy's are the only thing that kept nearly every 401K from entirely zeroing out of existence.

As the POTUS told us every step of the way through his 2 year campaign --- the change to a responsible healthcare system would take years -- maybe decades -- to effect. Single payor will require a massive shift in the mindset of all of America and those who are still silly enough to whine because this is not Disneyland and Obama is not a wizard with a magic wand are too pitifully delusional to deserve to benefit from the system when it does come about, imho.

[rawresolve]

02:09 PM on 11/10/2010

Keep voting for republicans and die quickly.

[Deucejack]

05:26 PM on 12/13/2010

At least we won't be standing in food lines while we wait to die.

[CTtransplant]

12:39 PM on 11/10/2010

It makes you wonder just how many of the uninsured actually voted against their own self interests.  Republicans have a way of fooling those who are less informed!

[HerrMonk]

12:56 PM on 11/10/2010

Not everyone agrees with your definition of "self interest".

Some people believe that self-determination is worth giving up a little security - i.e. I'd rather be able to make my own decisions and take my own risks than be forced into doing something that's probably a good idea.

Get past the narcissism: even if everyone were as smart and educated as you are, they still wouldn't all agree with you, or vote your way.

[seawillow]

01:05 PM on 11/10/2010

HerrMonk, you have bumped into a big Progressive problem: they are always mystified when people vote against what they believe is their "self-interest". As in this case. Yet, they are scandalized when other people vote for their "self-interest" - if that particular self-interest does not coincide with Progressive goals. They call these people names, selfish, greedy, etc.

[CTtransplant]

01:11 PM on 11/10/2010

Most people can make their point without name-calling...try it sometime.

[nikky]

01:13 PM on 11/10/2010

i think a lot of them voted against their self interest and now they are going to beg the dems to help them

[purplet]

12:30 PM on 11/10/2010

those with insurance are suffering

http://blogs.reuters.com/deep-pocket/2010/11/05/health-costs-fuel-rise-in-bankruptcy-among-elderly/

[CTtransplant]

12:41 PM on 11/10/2010

Unbelieveably sad!

[Deucejack]

05:28 PM on 12/13/2010

Move to Canada so we don't have to support you.

[netzwerg]

12:59 PM on 11/10/2010

Helicopter Ben Bernanke is doing everything he can to fuel inflation in the US.

[ebanks84]

12:15 PM on 11/10/2010

Articles like this makes me so angry that people don't seem to care about one another more than they care about "things". It frustrates me to no end to hear posters complaining about a person's legal status more than about the person's condition.

When did we lose our compassion? What date was it that it left us completely? Why should we care more about "material" things than each other?

Are we not our brother's keeper or what?

[stephenlight]

12:21 PM on 11/10/2010

"We", meaning the bulk of Americans, are not. The vote showed that pretty clearly.

[seegray]

12:23 PM on 11/10/2010

Let's reword that then. Should we not be our brother's keeper? And, if not, why not?

[ebanks84]

12:36 PM on 11/10/2010

And you're alright with that?

[rmarie]

03:46 PM on 11/10/2010

Honestly? I don't believe this country as a whole ever had that much compassion to begin with, and we've always cared more about things than people. Doesn't mean we can't change as a society, but we can't long to be something we never were.

[ebanks84]

05:26 PM on 11/10/2010

I beg your pardon. You most definitely must be speaking for yourself only. There are millions of people who would differ with you. Compassion has and always will be the glue that keeps the human race together. And those who cannot see that are definitely on a different path than those who do.

[Kris Bui]

12:11 PM on 11/10/2010

Duh!

[ebanks84]

12:08 PM on 11/10/2010

I wonder how many of those 59 million voted republican last week? Just curious. I've never understood how easy it is for people to cut off their nose to spite their face in situations like this.

[stephenlight]

12:20 PM on 11/10/2010

It is quite simple. They don't think it will happen to them. For others, they just got lucky and did not get very sick while without insurance and now that they are back on, they are happily content to let the rest fend for themselves...

[seegray]

12:30 PM on 11/10/2010

Yep. Amazing how many people have to have something directly affect them in the pocketbook before they can understand anyone else's lives, isn't it?

[netzwerg]

12:06 PM on 11/10/2010

Who really needs healthcare? You are all going to d1e anyway.
French people live longer and their babies don't d1e as much as American babies, but the US has the strongest military to offset that.

Sincerely, your caring, loving and sharing GOP.

[Epiphany2b]

12:27 PM on 11/10/2010

Interesting concept. While people are dying because they don't have medical care and can't afford their medication, at least they're not being killed in a terrorist attack? Hmmm.

[SkelDaddy]

01:28 PM on 11/10/2010

Yeah, but who among the chubby American kids with Type II Diabetes as teenagers is going to be able to join the military to fight our endless wars?

Besides, the French are well-known Surrender M0nkeys.

[Scentedflower]

12:04 PM on 11/10/2010

59 million?
Even if half of them voted, we wouldn't have this Red wave phoney RTs

[shino]

11:51 AM on 11/10/2010

Really 59 millions an insured ha then why they are not out on the streets and protesting against these Tea Beggars and there friends the Republicans. lol

[nomadrdw]

11:53 AM on 11/10/2010

because most of us are far far too busy just trying to make a living and pay what bills we can. or do you really see it as funny that almost 60 million people can't afford to see a doctor?

[Mrs Putrid Festring]

11:57 AM on 11/10/2010

what a LOL moment for the uninsured and unemployed.

[gitrdone]

11:48 AM on 11/10/2010

Study links 45,000 U.S. deaths to lack of insurance

(Reuters) - "Nearly 45,000 people die in the United States each year -- one every 12 minutes -- in large part because they lack health insurance and can not get good care, Harvard Medical School researchers found..."

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE58G6W520090917

Health Care is a PRO-LIFE issue!

[netzwerg]

12:07 PM on 11/10/2010

Death panels at work.

[nwfurn]

12:49 PM on 11/10/2010

That's a great line! Thanks. Health Care is a PRO-LIFE issue!