(CDC)Survey: Almost 44 million in U.S. are uninsured

[RamboLiberal]

Source: MSNBC/Reuters

Just under 44 million Americans had no health insurance in 2006, according to a survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Monday.

Their survey of 100,000 Americans is lower than previous federal estimates of 46 million.

“In 2006, there were 43.6 million Americans of all ages who did not have health insurance (at the time of the interview), or 14.8 percent of the population,” the CDC said in a statement.

The survey, by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, found that 54.5 million Americans of all ages, or 18.6 percent of the population, had no insurance for at least part of the year in 2006.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19416539/

[greenissexy]

1. Wow, talk about a bias

Does anyone really believe that over 80% of the population has health insurance. That's ridiculous. I'd be more likely to believe that 80% don't.

[pinto]

2. 18.6% of the population. That's a disgrace, imo.

Glad to hear it coming from the CDC - these kind of surveys are usually carried out by non-profit organizations and lost. The Kaiser Foundation, for one, does great analyses of health care in the country, but few outside of health care circles routinely see them.

[kaygore]

3. This does not count those with inadequate insurance or extremely high

deductibles (my deductible is $5000 before my insurance kicks in!)

I would urge everyone to get everyone they know to go see SiCKO. This is not a Democratic or Republican thing! Health care is a national tragedy.

My only criticism of SiCKO is that it opens with Bush and his famous (infamous?) quote about OBGYNs not being able to "practice their love of women." I wish that he had not opened with this as it may turn off some Republicans who need to keep their minds open as they watch the movie.

[pinto]

5. Good point. Underinsured can be as catastrophic as uninsured.

[KatyaR]

8. I have a $5,000 deductible, and I might as well not have any insurance at all.

I took a spill down the stairs outside my apartment the other morning and bruised myself all to hell, so badly that my friends thought I should see a doctor. There was no way I could go, because I couldn't afford the bills.

Thankfully, I was only bruised, not broken, and am healing nicely, but if I had broken something, I'd be in big trouble.

[Nite Owl]

7. Exactly

All the deductibles, the high payments, those who find out just how uninsured they really are when they try to make a claim, those working at a job that they don't like to keep the insurance. It goes on and on the problems with the system we have now which could be called 'just pay us the premiums and take what you get and be thankful for that.'

[lovuian]

4. 50% in Texas

its obscene and only going to get worse especially when jobs are loss and the premiums get higher and higher deductibles get higher and higher and for less services

its OBSCENE IMMORAL and a catastrophe in the making

a major disaster will halt the system

[redqueen]

6. thank goodness our top candidates are all set to fix this right up!

wait... nevermind

[Akoto]

9. We just got household insurance and, amusingly enough ...

My mother came down with strep throat. She contacted the insurance-assigned doctor to schedule an appointment. At that point, she was told that they wouldn't see her because they were going on vacation soon, and to go to a clinic.

That's quality for ya, I guess.

[liberal N proud]

10. I was talking to a co-worker today about a family member of theirs who did not have insurance

This family member was un-insured and needed a major operation with no means to pay for it. She indicated that the family member was a minister.
I asked her if she knew what their political affiliation was. She said, she was sure it was Republican because they were pro-life and talked in the past about how evil the Democrats were because the supported abortion.

I said, I figured they were and asked her if she felt differently today having voted against their own best interest in the interest of forcing a single belief of theirs on others?

[kurth]

11. And those 44 million are paying for Dick Cheney's health care

through federal taxes and whatnot.

[UrbScotty]

12. Are they sure it's that low? (nt)