Glad to see that my numbers still stand up
Nice to see an update to what I wrote over at Powerline:
According to data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans officially classified as uninsured in 2007 was 45.7 million. This figure is being used, naturally, to promote the case for radical "reform" that in practice would amount to a government takeover of the health care industry.
Again, 15% - this means that we panic and redo our whole healthcare system?
So, when between 25% and 50% (or higher in the inner city) of students fail to graduate from High School, why am I not seeing the same wailing and ranting from the same people?
Oh yeah, that's right - that would be a move away from government run "stuff" instead of towards it as with the healthcare "initiative".
However, Sally Pipes, in her Sunday Examiner column, shows that the 45.7 million uninsured figure is misleading as a barometer of the state of health insurance coverage in the U.S. She identifies four groups within that figure: (1) people who will quickly transfer from one insurance plan to another, (2) illegal immigrants, (3) individuals who make more than $50,000 a year but who elect not to purchase health insurance (usually because they are young and healthy), and (4) individuals who are eligible for government assistance with their health care through programs like Medicaid and SCHIP, but who do not avail themselves of that assistance.
Same breakdown of groups....
According to Pipes, if one subtracts these people from the 45.7 million figure, the number drops to approximately 8 million. If one adds back in those who make between $50,000 and $75,000 a year, the figure is roughly 16 million.
These numbers provide a much more realistic sense of whether and to what extent we face a crisis in health care coverage. They should also point the way to the most reasonable solutions to what indisputably is at least a problem. Those solutions do not include socialized medicine.
OK, the 45 million has gone to 45.7 million; with a population of over 300 million, that is a rounding error of less than 1%. I really wish that people would "tell the truth and nothing but the truth" and provide context when presenting their arguments....
Naw, that isn't going to happen....
And I wrote a little bit about moving healthcare more to the private marketplace as well.
