Question Regarding 42 Million W/Out Health Care

[OhioChick]

I've been hearing this mantra probably since the 2004 selection. I would tend to think that it's safe to assume that by now, this number is much, much higher. Does anyone really know how many Americans are uninsured? Any accurate sites out there?

Thanks in advance.

[salvorhardin]

1. It peaked around 47 million in 2006 then declined to 45.7 million in 2007

The number of Americans without health insurance dropped by more than 1 million people in 2007, the first annual decline in seven years, U.S. Census Bureau officials announced Tuesday.

The drop was driven largely by an increase in the number of children getting health insurance through government-funded programs.

"Both the percentage and number of people without health insurance decreased in 2007," David Johnson, chief of the Census Bureau's Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, said during a morning teleconference.

The percentage of Americans without health insurance was 15.3 percent in 2007, down from 15.8 percent in 2006. The number of uninsured dropped from 47 million in 2006 to 45.7 million in 2007, Johnson said.

The number of people with health insurance increased from 249.8 million in 2006 to 253.4 million in 2007, according to the Census Bureau report: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007.
More: http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/08/26/number-of-uninsured-americans-drops.html

[OhioChick]

2. Thank You!

I just have a hard time believing with the constant bleeding of jobs, that 42 Million is still being spewed on the M$M. Last month alone, we lost nearly a quarter of a million jobs and I have to think that the uninsured numbers have increased significantly. :shrug:

[salvorhardin]

3. I had to google for that number

Since it isn't readily available in the first place a reporter might look -- the Statistical Abstracts. They only show data as of 2005. I'm sure if I dug deeper into the Census Bureau website I'd find the current numbers but that was the very first place I looked.
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/health_nutrition/health_insurance.html

Although I'm sure there's a high degree of laziness preventing reporters from going out and finding the current numbers, the Census Bureau isn't really helping anybody out here.

[OhioChick]

4. Thanks, again.

I'd like to read into this a little deeper, if anything is to be found.

[SoCalDem]

5. and it's not just UN-insured.. Many have been conned into shitty plans

that masquerade as insurance while you make payments, and then refuse to cover much when you file a claim..

Under insurance is the biggest scam running right now..

[OhioChick]

6. Oh, I'm fully aware of that.

I have a COBRA policy now (my company discontinued health benefits) and having a chronically ill child.....we're definitely under-insured. Otherwise, we wouldn't be spending over $10-15K a year...out of pocket.

They deny almost everything. I've always fought them and usually won, but now I can appeal over and over...it does no good. :grr: