Meet some of the 45 million without health insurance
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 9:09AM If I hear one more politician ply Americans with horror stories about the 45 million uninsured in the US, I am going to eat the nearest nail. Figuratively speaking. It has not occurred to a single major media outlet to ask a simple question. Who are the 45 million uninsured in this country?
Why is that question important? Because the Democrats in Washington want us to subsidize the tab for shifting healthcare to the federal budget. We will do that via taxes and increased costs for our own private insurance.
Democrats accuse Republicans of stonewalling health insurance, with President Barack Obama commenting on a political remark by a Republican. The Associated Press story said: “Without mentioning his critic by name, the president recounted South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint's comment that stopping Obama's bid for health care overhaul could be the president's Waterloo, a reference to the site of Napoleon's bitter defeat.” DeMint is doing Obama a favor, because when US taxpayers figure out the misleading statistics being widely pushed by the administration and Dem-friendly media, tea parties may ensue. And those tea parties may play a role in future elections. Americans do not enjoy being hoodwinked.
One study sheds light on specifics about the uninsured. The study was published by the Employment Policies Institute in June, 2009, using data collected by the US Census Bureau in 2006. It’s a must read and it should be required reading for every member of Congress.
The study ‘Who are the uninsured?’ was conducted by June E. O’Neill and Dave M. O’Neill, Baruch College, City University of New York.
The narrative begins by addressing the infamous 45 million figure often used to mobilize support for the government encroaching another financial sector: “While this number has dominated nearly all healthcare policy debates, it unfortunately remains a relatively coarse measurement and provides little substantive information about the uninsured that can be used to craft effective policy solutions.”
Here are selected conclusions of the highly detailed study; you owe it to yourself to read the whole text online:
•Compared with those privately insured, the uninsured are more likely to be male, under the age of 35, much more likely to be unmarried and have no children. The uninsured are almost 4 times as likely to be high school dropouts, more than 3 times as likely to be Hispanic, and close to 4 times as likely to be foreign-born non-citizens. Their incomes are substantially lower and a larger percentage never worked during the year or worked only part of the year.
•The involuntarily uninsured are more likely to be Hispanic and to be foreign born non-citizens and their educational level is considerably lower. One third of the involuntarily uninsured are high school dropouts compared to 20 percent of the voluntarily uninsured. The involuntarily uninsured are almost twice as likely as the voluntarily uninsured to have never worked during the year. About 15 percent of the voluntarily uninsured are self-employed.
•Involuntarily uninsured women are more likely to be unmarried with children; 48 percent have never worked [compared to 27 percent of men who are involuntarily uninsured.]
What conclusions may we reach about a significant segment of the “45 million uninsured”? For starters, if you drop out of high school, waiving your right to a completely free subsidized education whereby you can even get served breakfast and lunch, you risk becoming involuntarily uninsured. If you’re an unmarried woman with children, you can get insurance if you are not above income thresholds. Pick up the phone and call your state health department to get started. Above all, if you’re a foreign born non-citizen, I owe you nothing. The US taxpayer should not be required to subsidize insurance for someone who is not an American citizen. I don’t believe that is constitutional.
Our president experienced a Freudian slip when he spoke to healthcare experts, saying, "The reforms we seek would bring greater competition, choice, savings and inefficiencies to our health care system." Obama’s slip is a truth revealed, managing miraculously to cut through the health reform muck.
Meet some of the 45 million without health insurance
by Kay B. Day
The US Report, Jul. 21, 2009
Kay B. Day, Editor
Note to my readers: I am still having formatting problems. I have not been successful in resolving them. I apologize for the manner the copy is broken. I plan to address this issue as soon as time permits.
Reader Comments (6)
I worked from 2002 until 2008 before I ever received employment that offered healthcare benefits. It's unfortunate, but most of my friends don't have healthcare provided through their employer due to costs.
If at any point in my early 20's I had been diagnosed with cancer, been in a severe wreck or accident, I would now owe the hospital of choice an unimaginable amount of money.
I'm not an hispanic high school dropout, but I was affected just the same. Glad I was able to stay healthy, too, because too many people out there are overlooked simply because they're hispanic high school dropouts...
I realize there are those who slip through the system, and I sympathize. My husband and I didn't have health insurance until we were in our 30s.
But the bill (or at least the most highly publicized bill, one of several) will not reform healthcare. Read the bills.
I believe there should be a free market approach, with some regulation to ensure those who want insurance should be able to purchase it. I also believe there should be a mechanism for covering same sex couples who are in a committed relationship (I realize the devil's in the details on all of this).
You are an exception to the statistics. I'd like to hear one politician tell me how many Americans who want insurance cannot get it, as opposed to those who either don't want to pay for it (15 percent of self-employed, etc.)
Government has driven up the cost of healthcare. If the HELP bill is passed, the cost will be astronomical.
Repeating: read the bill if you can. It's almost 1,000 pages.
Yeah, I imagine we're in for some changes as far as all of this is concerned. I feel very lucky to have health insurance. When I was looking at private single-payer options during my freelance days, I was finding prices no cheaper than my rent at the time.
Yeah, this legislation is very, very massive.
Ryan, same here. Our current insurance isn't all that great, but it works okay. My problems with these bills (there are several versions) relate to the legislation itself. I swear I don't think they are reading this stuff.
If I'm interpreting the language in one bill correctly, Medicare will be reduced.
I don't think we can continue on the current path, but what angers me is the Congress isn't looking at healthcare reform. The current bill simply preps the way for single payer and i don't want that to happen.
Why? My daugher and her soon-to-be husband are around your age (I think). You will pick up the tab for legislation that makes no sense. I suspect most in Congress have not read any versions of these bills--the smallest is around 800 pages long.
The government cannot control Medicaid fraud--even the FBI spoke to that concern becasue they're deluged with fraud cases in both Medicare and lending.
We need consumer reform, starting with the standards committee and winding its way to prescription drug pricing.
Always good to see you.
I'd like to see some reform in my electric/utility bills! >)
I agree with you, Kay. Young males, Hispanics, single mothers, and high school dropouts should not have health insurance. If you want insurance, GROW UP, GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, DON'T BE HISPANIC, GET MARRIED, AND GET A JOB. Preferably a job that provides health insurance.
We owe nothing to each other. This is America -- there is no "social contract" that ties us together. We are a collection of 50 state-nations with their own laws and structures. We should not have a Federal Government, and we should not have Federal laws. All the states should secede. 50 countries! States' rights! FREEDOM!
And you are definitely right that it is "unconstitutional" for the US taxpayer to subsidize insurance for someone who is not an American citizen. I forgot exactly which part of the Constitution that's in, but I remember it being there.
You definitely did a lot of good research for this article. Kudos! The "Employment Policies Institute" that you reference sounds like a really good, honest, unbiased organization as well! There's no way it's just a front for a major DC lobbying firm, is there?
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Employment_Policies_Institute
I agree with you, I want to know who these SUPPOSED 45+ million uninsured Americans are! If they want insurance so bad, they can start their own country! Don't come into my nation-state! FREEDOM FOREVER!
1776,
SoRightI'mWrong
Eric, thanks for your satire.
EPI based the figures on US Census data. Maybe ACORN helped gather it, since Dems are so fond of that vote-garnering group.
I do not believe the "general welfare" stipulated by the Constitution means we have a right to something we do not earn. Exceptions are the physically and/or severely mentally disabled..If unmarried women choose to have babies, as almost half of the young women do today, no, Eric, I do not believe government should subsidize that in the manner it is being done now.
I'd appreciate your taking credit for this statement: "I agree with you, Kay. Young males, Hispanics, single mothers, and high school dropouts should not have health insurance.." I never made that statement. You did. I am all for them having insurance as long as they pay for it themselves.
Re-read my column. I simply cited the stats pulled from the research based on the Census Bureau.
Had the president and Congress done their job, they would not lie to the American people by claiming "45 million Americans cannot get health insurance." Do you not believe the government should be accountable for the funds they request?
EPI does do lobbying. Big deal. Are you suggesting lobbyists had no input into the healthcare bills floating, the bills even the president admitted he had not read? Why then has he not disclosed a list of his visitors as requested even by neoliberal media?
I do not believe it is legal to levy taxes on Americans for foreign born noncitizens. As I said, re-read the data. Or go straight to the Census Bureau. You will find it there as well.
On social contracts, well, no, Eric, we don't have one. My husband and I pay taxes, sizable taxes. And I don't owe you, society, or anyone else anything above and beyond taxes for what we have earned. I contribute to causes I deem worthy by choice,
Regarding state sovereignty, few would disagree the federal government exeeds limits established by the constitution and I, as in the past, hold both political parties responsible.
Again, thanks for the satire.
If you don't care where your government dollars go, I'd like to ask how you feel about your taxes. Maybe you can give me some tips, because I suspect you're getting by lighter than I am.
Come anytime. Neoliberal positions are always amusing.
P.S. You might want to read the constitution.
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UPDATE: New column expands information about the EPI study. You may be surprised:
http://www.theusreport.com/the-us-report/politicians-president-and-media-arent-talking-about-who-cant.html