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August 31, 2006
Number of Uninsured Americans Continues to Rise On Bush Administration's
American families are struggling to find affordable health coverage. The
average premium for family health insurance is more than $10,000, and many
employers are dropping coverage or requiring their employees to contribute
more than they can afford to pay. The result has been a steep increase in
the number of Americans without health insurance. Today, the U.S. Census
Bureau announced that the number of uninsured Americans rose to 46.6
million last year, an increase of almost 7 million people since 2000. The
uninsured, who are overwhelmingly members of working families, have less
access to care, are in poorer health, and are at greater risk of premature
death. In addition to these serious health consequences, lack of
insurance also creates serious financial hardships: medical bills are a
leading contributor to personal bankruptcy. More than 46 million
Americans are living without health insurance. The number of uninsured
Americans has increased each year of the Bush Administration. After
decreasing at the end of the 1990s, the number of Americans without health
insurance has increased from 39.8 million in 2000 to 46.6 million in 2005.
A major cause is a decline in employer-sponsored health coverage: the
number of people receiving health coverage through an employer decreased
from 63.6 percent in 2000 to 59.5 percent in 2005. And while children
have largely been protected from the rising uninsured rate during recent
years (thanks to Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance
Program), the number of uninsured children increased in 2005 to 8.3
million, up from 7.9 million in 2004. (U.S. Census Bureau, August 29,
2006)
Not having health insurance has serious health consequences. The number
of uninsured Americans is more than a statistic; it is a grim reality for
many Americans. Extensive study has refuted the myth that the uninsured
receive the health care they really need.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM), an independent panel of experts, found
that the uninsured receive an inferior level of care that contributes to
poor health and premature death. The uninsured are more likely to forgo
needed care, receive fewer preventive services, not receive appropriate
care to manage chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and
diabetes, and obtain substandard care when admitted to a hospital. The
IOM estimated that about 18,000 unnecessary deaths are attributable to
lack of health insurance each year. (IOM, May 2002)
A survey by the Commonwealth Fund found that 59 percent of uninsured
adults with a chronic illness, such as diabetes or asthma, did not fill a
prescription or skipped their medications because they could not afford
them and 35 percent went to an emergency room or stayed overnight in the
hospital in the past year because of their condition (about twice the rate
of people with chronic conditions who were insured for the year). The
uninsured were also less likely to receive preventive care such as colon
cancer screenings and mammograms. In addition, the survey found that more
than half of uninsured adults reported medical debt or problems paying
medical bills. (Commonwealth Fund, April 2006)
Millions of additional Americans lack adequate health insurance. In
addition to the 46.6 million uninsured Americans, about 16 million people
are underinsured, which means their health coverage does not adequately
protect them from catastrophic health care expenses. Underinsured
Americans are almost as likely as the uninsured to not receive needed
medical care and have difficulty paying for medical care. According to a
Commonwealth Fund survey, 54 percent of the underinsured report going
without needed care and 46 percent report being contacted by a collection
agency for medical bills. (Schoen et al., Health Affairs, June 14, 2005)
The Bush Administration has failed to respond to concerns about
unaffordable health coverage. Making health care more affordable for
working families and expanding coverage to the uninsured has not been a
priority for the Bush Administration. The problem has grown worse, not
better. Proposals offered by the President, such as Association Health
Plans and tax deductions for high-deductible policies that accompany
Health Savings Accounts, would provide little benefit to the uninsured and
would actually make some people worse off by undermining
employer-sponsored coverage and reducing the cross-subsidies that keep
premiums more affordable for people in less-than-perfect health.
Moreover, the Republican-controlled Congress and the President actually
took a step backward earlier this year when they enacted legislation that
will allow states to make Medicaid recipients pay more for health care and
reduce Medicaid-covered benefits.
Posted by admin at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)
August 29, 2006
Secretary Kristin Walser on JP for House District 63
Posted by admin at 08:14 AM | Comments (0)
Chairman Jim Walseth on Lynea Seher for County Commissioner
Posted by admin at 08:13 AM | Comments (0)
Dorothy Eck on Brady Wiseman House District 67
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