Share
Americans lacking health insurance is increasingly being termed a crisis and cited in advancing an array of agendas, including electing a Democrat president, withdrawing from Iraq and, principally, instituting universal government healthcare.
Is it a crisis - are Americans increasingly going without health care - the victims of greedy corporations, insurance companies, and the White House? Or is this another bogus crisis based on misleading statistics and fueled by the irresponsible decisions on the part of some Americans?
Thanks to the U.S. Census Bureau, we now have some answers. I tend to think the Bureau's mission should be restricted to counting population for the purposes of congressional apportionment, not to produce a sociological sketch of the American people. But since they've already done so, these numbers simply cannot be ignored. Recently the Bureau released a report entitled "Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2006."
Proponents of universal government health care argue that 47 million Americans are uninsured and this constitutes a crisis. This statistic indeed seems troubling. Upon further examination several things become very apparent, namely, that this is a grossly misleading figure.
According to the Census Bureau, 10 million of the 47 million lacking health insurance are not U.S. citizens, and the majority of these individuals are not visa holders, but simply illegal immigrants. On a related note, doesn't one reason quickly become clear why the liberals oppose enforcement of immigration laws, a secure border, and the deportation of illegal immigrants? They'd be weakening their statistics, reducing health care costs for citizens and undermining their case for government health care.
Now we're down to 37 million uninsured Americans. Yes, still a very large number. Upon examining uninsured Americans by household income we find that approximately 18 percent of uninsured Americans have household incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 per year and 19 percent of uninsured Americans have household incomes over $75,000 per year. In total, almost 18 million Americans, or 38 percent of the 47 million uninsured Americans make more than $50,000 per year. If Americans in this income range don't have insurance it is either by choice or because they spend irresponsibly. In either case, it is an issue of personal responsibility, not a responsibility of the Federal government and taxpayers.
Fifteen million Americans making between $25,000 and $50,000 per year are uninsured. The majority of these households could afford health insurance if they chose to do so. I know from personal experience, having grown up as one of three children in a household with an income in this category, that it can be done. My parents are self-employed, meaning they had to obtain insurance without the assistance of an employer. It wasn't easy, but they budgeted and we did without vacations, new cars, designer clothes, and many of the luxuries that so many Americans who say they cannot afford health insurance seem to be able to afford.
The reality is, in many cases, it comes down to an issue of budgetary priorities and all-too-often, Americans confuse wants with needs, and sacrifice things like health insurance for creature comforts. Health insurance is a need for most people. Vacations, new cars, fancy appliances, large houses, electronic gadgets, 50-inch plasma televisions and designer clothing are wants, not needs. If Americans cannot afford the prior, they have no business whatsoever with the latter.
There will always be unique circumstances, but on the whole, 18 million of the uninsured can absolutely afford health insurance, and another 15 million could, in most cases, afford health insurance if they made the obligatory spending decisions to do so. And another 10 million simply should not be in the United States, and being non-citizens, should not be considered in such statistics.
It is also important to point out how unstable the uninsured population is. In fact, as many as half of the 47 million in question, were uninsured for only a few months out of the year.
Leave a comment 9 Comments Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
I am a senior and have medicare part "D" prescription drug coverage. Yesterday, I went to my doctor who said it's time to deal with cholestrol and prescribed crestor. The drugstore said "NOT ON FORMULARY"!! The question is do I have insurance for prescription drugs or do I have a company with an excuse to not cover me even though the almighty dollar bill is already in their hands? If you want insurance to work in America, it is going to have to be controlled to the point that it had to answer the same as the people it covers; "SIR, NO EXCUSE, SIR"!! Insurance is just that, you need a pill we provide the pill... otherwise it's simply graft!! Protection with an excuse by using "Power of Contract".. Fix the system: that's what is broken!!!
Reply to this Top
This article is nothing but pure conjecture, why not just write a fairy tale entitled "Eff poor people, unicorns, and liberals" and leave it at that?
Reply to this Top
The only change I would like to see in health care, is removing the company support for health care plans, and make it a State Requirement, with each State, offering a large group of State negotiated plans. Since all states have more citizens to bargain for than any single company, this should significantly reduce the cost of services. And it just might do away with the highly inflated costs of services used in some parts of the medical profession.
Reply to this Top
Jim, what is pure conjecture? The numbers being cited are exactly the numbers advocates of government health care, like you, always use in making their case--except they are actually in context. Have a problem with the numbers, stop using them. If you want to give illegals government health care and people that make over $50,000 dollars per year say so. Why do I think Jim won't respond...
Reply to this Top
JIm, How mutch do you make a month? I make between 800 -1100. Hmm Im guessing you make 40,000 or so and your employer pays for it so I guess as long as every thing is going AOK for you than the sytem works. I wish they did what they did in China so you couldn't post anonymously, Jim Who do you work for? I work for Holiday Gas Station I live on my Own and I'm 20. Oh and with all the money I make a month I dont qualify for assistance even thow rent now cost 700 a month. Dint Nixon start the HMO's and we all know he was trust worthy. I dont want to give the people who make 50,000 a year health insurance or the Illegal Immigrants. why cant the richest Country in the world take care of it's "OWN PEOPLE" How mutch money did we spend Liberating Iraq? So Jim what about are own people. Im sorry I dont make more money Then I do Jim, Im sorry I dont have Parent's who can affored to help me out Jim. Hopefully Jim, in 20 years from now I can afford it. and Hopefully I still belive no One "CITIZEN" in The United State's of America should slip through the cracks. Till then Ill just be one of those healthy Young American's who dont really need it.I got 6,000 dollars in needed dental work because no one took care of me when I was young, 6000 may not seem mutch to you Jim but it take's me half a year to make "TOTAL" Not to mention the bills the hospital keeps sending me.
Reply to this Top
I Meant Tim:}
Reply to this Top
So please tell me, Todd, why YOUR health ought to be MY responsibility? You want the government to provide healthcare for you - great. More power to you. But the government has to get it's money from SOMEWHERE, and that SOMEWHERE is you and me. And every other citizen. Thus, a nationalized heatlhcare system would require that I have a vested interest in the health and well-being of every other citizen. I'd want you to refrain from promiscuity. I'd want to prevent you from using drugs of any sort. Hell, I'd even want you to stop driving your car, as you would be draining money from the system if you were to get into an accident. Private insurance companies can handle these risks by charging 'at-risk' individuals higher rates; that's why your car insurance cost is less (probably) than your parents', because your lack of experience makes you a higher risk for an accident. What makes you think that the feds can handle this risk more effieicnently than an HMO?
Reply to this Top
I didn't worry about healthcare coverage until my husband -- in his 20's -- had food poisoning a few years ago. He had no medical insurance, so we put off getting it treated. After 3 weeks we went to the emergency room -- it had gotten to the point that without a simple IV giving fluids, his life was in danger. He was young and strong...but was so weak after that infection. We both come from the middle class -- I was working full time, he was starting a business. We both prefer small government, not big government. However, I find a parallel in education. Those who created this nation decided that basic education should be universal -- they wanted a level playing field -- this was a socialistic idea. At the time, the idea was revolutionary. Who are we going to deny basic medical care to? Our family of four fits into the $25k - $50k income range, and let me tell you -- finances are tight! Our home is small, a fixer-upper. Almost all of our furniture is second-hand or was given to us. We take very few vacations, and they are usually short. We'd like to go camping once a month, but are hard-pressed to even do that -- there is no money for gas. Fortunately, my husband's current employer pays the lionshare of our insurance costs right now. So we have insurance. How will we pay the deductible for the baby that will be born any day now? Honestly, I haven't a clue. But what about those similar to us who don't even have insurance? -- there is no way we could pay the money for the premium that my husband's employer pays for us -- there would then be no money for food, no money for gas, no money for clothes. I understand that this article is directed toward students, likely written by a student. Sure, there are some figures cited that definitely demand attention. However, the rest of the article is about accusing a large group of people of spending on luxury rather than their health. There is no factual evidence to back up this accusation. And let me tell you, as a mother of 2 with another on the way, I know only too well the importance of being able to get healthcare for my children, and would forego any luxury and several of my own needs to see that my children get medical attention when they need it. We have decided that education is for everyone -- I believe that basic healthcare is also for everyone. I am not 100% certain yet on what the best means is to that end, but I know that the current system has problems. Because I know that not every American Citizen or legal resident has medical insurance, and I know that many who do have insurance cannot pay their portion of the costs and so go without care.
Reply to this Top
I'll have to ask you to be a but more specific about your research method than you have been, because I contacted the agency at the Census B. responsible for collecting data on health insurance statistic. This was her response to my question about whether or not they collect data on insurance statistics or illegal immigrants. ""We do not currently have estimates on the number of illegal immigrants who do not have health insurance." Gloria Simpson, Division of Health Interview Survey. National Center for Health Statistics. Sort of throws your whole article into question.
Reply to this Top