The number of uninsured dropped? How did that happen?

You reckon they died and decreased the surplus population? :sarcasm:


Poverty rate unchanged as uninsured drop

53 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. poverty rate did not change in 2007, but the median household income rose slightly and the number of people lacking health insurance also dropped slightly, the Census Bureau said on Tuesday.

(snip)

"The number of people without health insurance coverage declined from 47 million (15.8 percent) in 2006 to 45.7 million (15.3 percent) in 2007," the Census Bureau said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080826/us_nm/usa_poverty_dc

When people stop looking for a job they are no longer counted.

When people stop trying to get healthcare assistance they are no longer counted.

just sayin'...

Just don't count people who are out of work and not on unemployment?

what happens when you get seriously sick or injured and can't afford medical treatment?

if they can get it into the media - if not on both counts, too bad - Take two aspirins and call me in the morning (if you're still alive).

Perhaps a lot of people have figured out that even having a terrible health plan is better than nothing because of the inherent discount. You can get a 20-80 plan and still save money over having no plan.

There are also millions of people counted as insured who have worthless health plans that will break if they ever suffer a serious illness.

The Current Population Survey is the source for the overall report; the accounting of insured status comes from the section called the Annual Social & Economic Supplement (ASEC).

The ASEC definition of insured is having insurance at any time during the previous year and reports on both private and government insurance (Medicare, military health care, SCHIP, etc.)

The difference in the number covered by private insurance in 2007 vs. 2006 was not statistically significant. However, the number covered by some form of government insurance rose from 80.3 million in 2006 to 83 million in 2007. (pg 19, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007, published by the Census Bureau.)

You know, when all the layoffs and job cuts started picking up momentum.

Never mind that Medicare eligibility is at age 65 (no wiggle room on that) and that means that NOT ONCE SINGLE PERSON IS CURRENTLY COVERED BY MEDICARE WHO WAS BORN AFTER AUGUST 1943. That's NOT a "boomer"!

The annual US death toll for which the proximate cause is lack of medical insurance is 22,000. This refers to people who could have been treated and made completely healthy again by standard medical practices -- no "heroic" measures required -- but can't get the care and treatment they need at the ER. So their condition worsens, becomes acute and eventually lethal.

22,000 is a long way from the 1.3 million drop this study alleges, but it's a good start. And with a little work and dedication, the US medical extortion racket can kill far more people far more efficiently.

The perfect system is already in place and entrenched. Workers just need to boost their productivity a little bit.


wp