Health Care and Numbers

In the most recent article I read this morning (December 6, 2009, AP: Obama heads to Hill to push on health bill) it states of the House version: "The nearly $1 trillion, 10-year legislation would provide coverage to more than 30 million more people over the next decade with a new requirement for nearly everyone to purchase insurance."

I am a bit confused about this statement.

The number of Americans who do not have insurance when healthcare again hit center stage during the presidential campaign was 46 million.

What happened to over 25 percent of those people who seemed to need it?

Perhaps the over 9 million non-citizens, who were included in the 46 million count were taken off the list. At least that is good news as I do not believe that Main Street USA should be paying anything for them unless they are here legally and paying taxes and then perhaps only emergency care, not monthly subsidies.

However, without that group the number only goes down to about 37 million.

Of other significant groups included in the number of uninsured there are included slightly over 10 million who earn more than three times the stated "poverty level" but have decided, for whatever reasons, not to purchase insurance. (Though there will be a mandate in the House bill for them to do so. But, as it is subsidized, they still won't have to pay.)

When analyzing the numbers further there are estimated to be roughly 6 million Americans identified as having been undercounted in Medicaid. That is a significant number but also one where the people are actually insured and are listed as not insured.

There are also over 4 million people who already qualify for free or nearly free government subsidized insurance but have not signed up.

As food for thought, I assume those people who qualify for it but have not signed up are already included in some current budget somewhere but, by leaving them in the numbers, it becomes that much more inflated.

And, there are estimates that roughly 5 million Americans who are uninsured are between 18 and 34, single and in relatively good health, making a choice for themselves that they do not yet need insurance.

Thus, realistically, the number of the most needy uninsured Americans (i.e., do not have insurance and most likely cannot afford it) is more likely in the 10 million range.

Doesn't this put the issue in a different light?

I believe that it does.

Yes, health reform may be needed in areas of tort reform and absurd profits for drug companies, but the House and Senate do not address these two issues.

Over For Now.

Main Street One