A Doctor knows that a successful treatment depends on a proper diagnosis. But politicians need a crisis to solve to gain power and the media is willing to accommodate with half truths and incomplete data.

We hear about a huge uninsured population, the numbers used commonly range from 43 to 47 million. Here is some of the rest of the story.

Sandy Szwarc, BSN, RN, CCP

About 18 million of the uninsured are people between the ages of 18 and 34, for whom health insurance isn’t a priority and they’ve simply chosen to spend their disposable income on other things.

Of the 46.6 million Americans they cited as uninsured in 2005, 17.04 million without health insurance live in households making more than $50,000 a year. That’s 37% of the uninsured in the U.S. Nearly 9 million of those make more than $75,000.

In fact, according to the Census Bureau, the biggest increases in uninsured by household incomes over the past decade has been among those making the most money. They are people who generally have access to insurance through employers and can most afford insurance, but prefer to self-insure for whatever reason (perhaps to keep their healthcare decisions out of the hands of their employer or government). Freedom includes the freedom to make choices about our bodies others may not agree with and many will not readily concede to government force.

Even among a larger 45% of the population not regarded as poor because they make above 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, 88% reported being in good to excellent health and 90% paid their health expenses in full. Not a group contributing to a crisis (except to those selling insurer managed care, perhaps).

Of course, not having health insurance is not the same as not having health care. Even among those of limited means, there is a wide variety of clinics across the country that are free, low-cost or charge on a sliding scale based on income. Many young women, for instance, use Planned Parenthood for basic preventive gynecological care. Families go to subsidized clinics and public health departments for preventive screenings, immunizations or urgent care. And regardless of anyone’s ability to pay, under U.S. federal law, commonly called the COBRA law, anyone who goes within 250 yards of a hospital emergency room requesting care, must be treated and stabilized, including women in labor.

What may be saddest to learn is that the Congressional Budget Office found that “33% of the uninsured in the U.S. are eligible for public health coverage programs” but had not enrolled. A 1997 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found 25% of eligible children hadn’t been enrolled, meaning outreach efforts to enroll these children need improvement.

Dr. David Gratzer, M.D., a doctor with licenses in both Canada and the U.S. and author of The Cure and Blue Code, believes the number (of uninsured) is closer to 7%. Regardless of the exact estimate, clearly, it’s a much smaller number than popularly believed. While no means less important, having a clearer diagnosis leads us to very different and less far-reaching cures to ponder.

From HKO
There is a lot I would like to see changed about health care in the US, but I am skeptical when I see a growing universal (and potentially disastrous) agreement on a solution for a problem that is so poorly and inaccurately stated.

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