Dr. Washington

IBD Editorials ^ | September 17, 2010 | Investors Business Daily staff

[Kaslin]

Health Care: The Census Bureau reported last week that the number of uninsured Americans jumped to almost 51 million last year. Is this a reason to become panicked and reform the system? No.

Yet "reform" is already here — in the form of a government-heavy overhaul the public did not want and still doesn't like but which had to be done, according to Democrats, because too few Americans have medical insurance.

For them, the numbers released Thursday — 50.7 million uninsured in 2009 vs. 46.3 million in 2008 — are proof their bold action was needed.

"The increase in uninsured Americans last year is clear evidence of how critical it was to take action to protect patients," Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus, D-Mont., an ObamaCare author, said in a written statement. "And that's exactly what the Affordable Care Act will do."

Leaving aside for now the fact that the higher uninsured rate is tied directly to the job losses that Baucus' party is making worse, let's look at the historical data to see if his rhetoric is justified.

At 50.7 million uncovered, 16.7% of the country was uninsured in 2009. The ratio the year before was 15.4%. That's not a sharp change from one year to the next, nor is it a significant deviation from the recent historical norm.

The rate has varied from 12.9% in 1987, to 15.4% in 1995 and 1996, to 15.8% in 1998, then down to 15.1% three years later. Observed on a chart, the rate is a rather straight line that bumps up a bit in 2009 as the economy went cold.

[traditional1]

Let's see; about 20 million of those are illegal aliens, 20 million are welfare-dependent-fourth-generation-parasites, and the remainder are young folks who think they don't need insurance 'cause they're healthy.

Somewhere in that number, too, are tons of now un-employed due to The Messiah and the socialist bastards in charge, who lost their health care coverage when they lost their jobs.

SO, we now force the lucky still-earning ones to pay the freight for those who NEVER worked a day in their lives....

What a concept!

[ridesthemiles]

Let’s see; about 20 million of those are illegal aliens”

The figure of 20 million was the common jumber used in the 70’s.

IMO, it is now much closer to 50 million.

More & more have crossed the border & they breed much faster than we do.

[octex]

This administration making up numbers again?

There was no question on my census form about health insurance. So, how could the Census Bureau possibly know how many people are uninsured?