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Uninsured Population Hits 46.3 Million in 2008
The number of people in the United States without health insurance rose from 45.7 million in 2007 to 46.3 million in 2008, which represents 15.4% of the overall population, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today.
The Census Bureau report, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008, also notes that real median household income in the United States fell 3.6% between 2007 and 2008, from $52,163 to $50,303, breaking a string of three years of annual income increases and coincides with the recession that started in December 2007.
The nation's official poverty rate in 2008 was 13.2%, up from 12.5% in 2007. There were 39.8 million people in poverty in 2008, up from 37.3 million in 2007.
The uninsured rates for the native-born and foreign-born populations were statistically unchanged at 12.9% and 33.5%, respectively, in 2008. Among the foreign-born population, the uninsured rates for both naturalized citizens (18%) and noncitizens (44.7%) were statistically unchanged.
The Northeast and the Midwest, each at 11.6% had lower uninsured rates in 2008 than the West (17.4%) and the South (18.2%), all of which were not statistically different from their respective 2007 rates. The uninsured rate for the West increased to 17.4% in 2008, up from 16.9% in 2007.
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M. Tumblin (9/14/2009 at 12:21 PM)
Interesting how some continue to ignore the facts and chalk it up to not being for Healthcare reform. Everyone is for Healthcare reform, some simply choose to be smart about it by looking at the facts and applying them to actual reform. About 9.8 million are illegal aliens of which even the White House now acknowledges this number in reporting about 30 million are uninsured. Funny how the number changed after illegal comments were called in to question. The fact currently remains that 100% are "insured" as current provision allows anyone receives Healthcare who simply walks in to an ER. Who pays for this, you and I pay for this. In addition, although not a liar, Obama's plan gives no provision for checking citizenship or status. This provision wasn't simply left out as it has been struck down three times now in committee. You and I still pay for illegals, and the question begs why would you want to? Next about 12 million are of the age 19-28 who choose not to buy health insurance because they are "invincible" and have better things to do with their money, so they think. Another 6 million are between jobs and Cobras are not counted leaving about 15 million as the real number give or take a few politicians. Make a provision for these and reform is on the right track and more affordable for guess who, you and I. Healthcare reform is actually easy. We need a Walmart/Ala-carte solution for those who want or can only afford minimum insurance, much like car insurance. We need to stop giving to illegals, anything. This saves the billions it would take for a one time application of technology which prevents replication of services which saves an additional billions of dollars. We need tort reform to prevent frivolous law suits so doctors dont need to administer protection medicine, which saves billions, and we need a competitive insurance system that crosses state lines, which saves billions. Lastly we need government to pass the laws and stay out of it. Or do you want IRS type Healthcare, Housing, Cheese?
John W (9/11/2009 at 3:00 PM)
Interesting that the uninsured rate for noncitizens (which I presume includes both those who are here legally and those who aren't) is about 45%. Opponents of health care reform like to discount the uninsured numbers by pointing out that about a third of them are illegal immigrants. That, of course, assumes that 100% of illegals are uninsured. Apparently, that's not the case.
pgrantham (9/11/2009 at 11:49 AM)
with all the attention that has been given to the "official" census analysis, I find your reporting as if this is fact highly irresponsible, and smacking of being a White House shill....