Americans Without Health Benefits May Have Set Record in 2005

[cal04]

The number of Americans without health insurance probably rose to a record in 2005 as medical costs increased three times as fast as wages, according to forecasts for a Census Bureau report today.

The total has climbed every year since President George W. Bush took office, a point Democrats are likely to seize on in this year's congressional election. In February Bush called the 45.8 million who didn't have insurance in 2004 ``unacceptable in our country.'' Emory University Professor Ken Thorpe in Atlanta says Bush has done little to help these people.

``We've had absolutely no federal effort or interest in insuring the uninsured since 2000,'' said Thorpe, who was deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Health and Human Services from 1993 to 1995. ``This has not been a priority of the Bush administration.''

The government also will probably report that the percentage of Americans living in poverty dropped after reaching a six-year high in 2004, said Bob Greenstein, executive director of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=a8eJudCM7WkQ&refer=politics

[LynnTheDem]

1. "We're Number One"!

For number of own citizens in jail...now add to that Americans with no health insurance!

WOOOHOOOO!

"This has not been a priority of the Bush administration." Nope; fuck the American people, let's make Halliburton REALLY rich by a 500% increase!

Wake up, Americans.

[Vinca]

2. And one myth seems to be that Americans without health insurance

are poor Americans. That is not true. It's also middle and upper middle class Americans, especially the self employed. Older people and people with any kind of medical condition - grave or not - are the worst off because companies quote prices idiotically high to keep them from signing up. I say them, but I mean us. I keep thinking something's got to happen because big business (GM, Ford, etc.) will eventually go under because of the burden of health care costs. America, as it currently exists, is for the benefit of corporations, not people. I actually expect the Republicans will get pressure to address this problem, although I also expect them to take the burden off business and screw the little guy. If Democrats don't regain control and take the lead on this I don't know what we'll do.

[rodeodance]

4. BINGO

[OhioChick]

5. You're absolutely right.

I have a chronically ill child and do have healthcare, but healthcare costs are killing us.

[raccoon]

8. Great post. And it's also lots of part-time people who would

prefer to be full-time, but can't find full-time employment. And temporary workers.

I don't believe the Democrats would push this either, unless the American people--or big business--REALLY push for it.

[bluestateguy]

9. Good points

Also a lot of middle class people who work and have health insurance are nonetheless left with crushing health insurance bills because of the porous nature of our health insurance system ("we won't cover this, we won't cover that"; "we cover 80% after the first $1000..."). A long hospitalization can still result in five digit medical bills, even for those who have insurance.

What we need to do, is put a middle class face on this problem. The sad fact is that most Americans do not support most programs that are perceived as only benefiting the poor.

[Vinca]

10. An awful lot of people who file for bankruptcy because of medical bills

had insurance. You think you're covered, but when you need it . . . surprise, surprise. Bankruptcy is bankruptcy. You might as well go down the tubes for the whole amount and save the tens of thousands paid to the insurance company. The whole situation is ridiculous and in the end costs society more than it would for universal care. Uninsured people delay treatment until the situation is dire and the costs are far greater. And forget preventive care.

[blondeatlast]

13. That was the sitch in my family. The employer wasn't paying the premiums

and I had a heart condition. Our choice? Our home or our credit--we kept the house and our credit (and self-esteem) took a major hit.

Even some major employers are beginning to see a single payer plan as the smart choice; they can't tolerate the rise in their costs, either.

[gratuitous]

18. The other myth propagated by cheap labor repressives

There's another myth put out there by cheap labor repressives, which is that young people are choosing not to afford health insurance. That is, they're spending their money on luxuries and lifestyle items (plasma TVs and such) and choosing not to be insured. And you don't want the bad old gubmint taking away your right to choose, do you? Are you anti-choice? You libruls?

The talking point is just so ludicrous, but it gets traction from the same low-wage dumbasses who think they're at risk of losing money to the estate tax.

[rodeodance]

3. Russ Feingold has a plan. it is time to support people who have the

values and courage to address this issue!



``We've had absolutely no federal effort or interest in insuring the uninsured since 2000,'' said Thorpe, who was deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Health and Human Services from 1993 to 1995. ``This has not been a priority of the Bush administration.''

[bluestateguy]

6. I am now convinced that the only way we will ever get national health insu

is for the president (a future president, obviously) to order a military takeover of all health insurance companies and HMO's.

[blondeatlast]

14. Slowly and steadily, some major employers outside the financial industry

are seeing a universal, single-payer system as the smart choice for them and their employees.

When a few more of the biggies jump on the bandwagon, we may see some rapid progress.

Not gonna hold my breath, though.

[Joe Bacon]

7. Sorry, but Harry and Louise brainwashed too many people

INCLUDING my idiot family. I try and talk about Canada's health care system, they respond that people wait years for anything and they come to the US out of frustration.

They repeat the Harry and Louise talking points about government bureaucrats rationing health care, I bring up that under the current system unelected corporate bureacrat beancounters do the rationing, they say that is OK with them.

Then they tell me that they oppose national health insurance because it would provide abortions on demand.

These accusations come from a sister who is a brittle diabetic and one who has had several bouts of cancer that have hit her bank account. Neither one wants health care, then there are even crazier nuts like my aunt who goes from preacher to preacher to get healed of her manic-depression. She never goes to doctors.

Sadly, America will NEVER have national health insurance.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. K&R

[blondeatlast]

12. The new USA motto: "It's just too hard!"

Too hard to be proactive with American health, too hard to see every child deccently educated, too hard to lift the unfortunate out of misery, too hard to ensure a good life for those who have contributed to the economy their whole lives, too hard to...

(Please note this is heavy :sarcasm:)

Well, you get the idea.

[Toots]

15. The USA is spending over and above it's means by over $100,000.00 a Second

and not a dime of it for the health of our citizens...We are spending now over a $185,000.00 per minute just on the Iraq War, killing women and children..while our own citizens go without basic health care needs...The Freeper Chant "We Don't Care" "We Don't Care" "We Don't Care" has never rung so true...

[area51]

16. healthcare

From looking at jobs listings, I see a lot of employers are "solving" the problem of the lack of affordable healthcare by simply not offering any health bennies to employees. This is a real crisis in this country that the nazi party is ignoring & too many democrats are ignoring.

I've heard that the 45 million uninsured figure has been quoted for many years; quite obviously, in this dying economy, the actual figure is much higher. The answer is not Newt Gingrich's wet dream of making a law to force people to buy insurance; the answer is universal healthcare. Even nazis should admit the point that healthy people in a country are more productive and can be more competitive.

Big business employers should be hiring lobbyists to lobby our rich, fat-cat congress to wisely use our tax dollars to give us universal healthcare like the civilized countries have. But to quote another poster, I'm not holding my breath on this. Congress has the attitude of "I've got mine, fsck you" towards the rest of us.

[sandnsea]

19. Universal healthcare requires full participation

In order for any plan to cover everybody, everybody has to be required to participate. That "laws forcing people" is an anti-government kneejerk that people would reject if they just took 5 seconds to consider the necessity of everybody participating in a universal plan.

[cal04]

17. Census Bureau data show the real state of the current economy

Census Bureau data show the real state of the current economy. The Bush record on combating poverty and insuring more Americans is an undisputed failure.

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/news_conferences/007338.html

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/08/29/bush-record/