Beware of stats and facts on healthcare uninsured

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I know that many of you folks argue politically some of the points brought forward at our meetings.

I wish to say, no one really knows how broken the healthcare system is in the nation. Most of the studies have one or more flaws and the stats vary. For instance:

Right now, some on the right are saying that the 45.7 million estimate of folks having no healthcare included 10 million illegial aliens. Others argue that there are 50 million, not 45.7. Estimates vary by 30 million.

Technically speaking, anyone who has any sort of insurance (no matter how limited) is counted as having insurance. No real estimate of how many Americans are underinsured but guesses range from 25 million to 80 million.

I would argue that folks on "present" canco insurance and or Medicare/Medicaid are underinstured compared to the "old time" Canco insurance. Beware the source of the information, beware how the spin the "facts".

Personally, when I answer the census; I am going to truthfully say I have partial insurance if there is a box for that. If not, I am going to list myself as uninsured because I cannot afford to use the insurance unless there is an emergency.
I suggest others do the same

This is from CNN (and before the destruction of the auto industry and related folks)

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Study: 86.7 million Americans uninsured over last two years
Story Highlights
Study: One out of three Americans without health insurance at some point in 2007-08

Study is released day before White House health care summit

U.S. Census Bureau reports lower numbers, only counts those uninsured for full year

Critic says Families USA exaggerated numbers to make a political point

By Jennifer Pifer-Bixler
CNN Senior Medical Producer
(CNN) -- One out of three Americans under 65 were without health insurance at some point during 2007 and 2008, according to a report released Wednesday.

The study, commissioned by the consumer health advocacy group Families USA, found 86.7 million Americans were uninsured at one point during the past two years.

Among the report's key findings:

• Nearly three out of four uninsured Americans were without health insurance for at least six months.

• Almost two-thirds were uninsured for nine months or more.

• Four out of five of the uninsured were in working families.

• People without health insurance are less likely to have a usual doctor and often go without screenings or preventative care.

"The huge number of people without health coverage is worse than an epidemic," Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said in a press release. "Inaction on health care reform in 2009 cannot be an option for the tens of millions of people who lack or lose health coverage each year ... the cost of doing nothing is too high."

The study came out the day before President Obama plans to hold a health care summit at the White House. The President says reforming health care is one of his top priorities.

The number of Americans without health insurance reported by Families USA is much higher than those reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. According to the census numbers, in 2007 there were 45.7 million uninsured Americans.

Families USA says those numbers tell only part of the story. The Census bureau counts only people who were uninsured for the full calendar year. For its own study, Families USA commissioned The Lewin Group to analyze data from the Census Bureau and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Its study includes people who did not have health insurance for all or for part of the past two years.

Critics say the number of uninsured Americans cited in the Families USA report is misleading. "No one disagrees we have a problem with the uninsured," says Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who advised Sen. John McCain on domestic and economic policy during the 2008 election.

But Holtz-Eakin thinks Families USA is exaggerating the numbers to make a political point the day before the White House summit. "They are simply choosing to report over a two-year window a measure that always gives you a larger number."



Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/04/uninsured.epidemic.obama






© 2008 Cable News Network

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this is a copyrighted article and I will withdraw if objections made