2. The 46 million myth

by BD Pisani ♦ 04 aug 2009

Monday, The B2J received a timely response from Democrat Senator Bill Nelson (FL) to our request that he not support Government-run Health Care Rationing.

Nelson's email was timely because one of the main reasons he cited for supporting socialism was our topic for today: The myth that there are 46 million uninsured Americans.

The issue in question

In Senator Nelson's email, he stated the following:

...Equally important is the issue of the uninsured. Nearly 50 million Americans lack adequate health insurance, and that is unacceptable. I am working toward reforms that would make health insurance available to all Americans through an insurance exchange and would provide subsidies to those who cannot afford coverage...

He is right about one thing; Unacceptable. His statement is unacceptable because it is false -- and the 45.7 million figure provided by the Census Bureau is also not dire enough for him; he had to make it 50 million.

Senator Nelson is well aware of the real figures, the same figures of which you will soon be aware. Which is why Nelson's disingenuous claims are so disturbing. He and his allies know the truth, yet perpetuate falsehoods to further their political agenda of socializing health care.

An agenda that several recent polls tell us a majority of Americans do not want.

The baseline statistic

In 2007, there were 45.7 million people in the U.S. (15.3 percent of the population) who were without health insurance for at least part of that year, according to the United States Census Bureau.

This is one of the most widely-used statistics in the statists' debate over health care reform. And why not?

After all, if 15 percent of the population is uninsured, then the current system must be failing, right? And if the private sector can't insure 15 percent of America, then the government is "obligated" to take over, right?

Not so fast, my friends.

While not technically wrong to use the 45.7 million uninsured figure, it is unethical and misleading to use it as a crisis indicator and fear-inducing cudgel to intimidate trusting but uninformed Americans into the embrace of socialism.

But before we look at numbers, carefully read three sentences:

1. The Census Bureau acknowledges that insurance coverage may be significantly higher than its data indicate.

2. The Census Bureau also acknowledges that "The estimated number of people without health insurance more closely approximates the number of people who are uninsured at a specific point in time during the year than the number of people uninsured for the entire year."

3. The Census Bureau cautions in its annual report entitled Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States about large margins of error, and that health insurance coverage is likely to be under-reported on the Current Population Survey (CPS, the document used to survey Americans). [all emphases added by B2J]

The numbers behind the statistic

Obviously, people are uninsured for different reasons. Some, of course, just can't afford to pay for insurance. But others -- in fact most -- are uninsured for reasons not directly related to cost, and very likely would not want any part of mandatory Government-run Health Care Rationing.

To be fair, let's round off the 45.7 million to 50 million, assuming that in 2009 this is closer to the real number. So, according to the Census Bureau:

Voluntary non-participation

Almost 18 million of the uninsured make more than $50,000 a year, and almost 10 million of them have an income of more than $75,000 a year. That means 18 million Americans with above-average incomes can afford health insurance but choose not to have any. My adopted brother Randy is one. Also, Americans aged 19 to 29 comprise one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the uninsured, consider themselves "bulletproof," and would rather pocket their money than purchase coverage.

50 million - 18 million = 32 million.

Non-citizens

More than 10 million of the people who responded to the Census and were considered uninsured by the U.S. government were non-citizens! That's right - 10 million aren't U.S. citizens at all (although they can still get free treatment in U.S. emergency rooms, and the non-citizen figure may be much higher).

32 million - 10 million = 22 million.

Low-income citizens

As many as 14 million uninsured -- some elderly, and poor and low-income Americans -- are fully eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program). The problem? They are simply not enrolling in these programs -- even when Medicaid and SCHIP allow patients to be signed up, literally, in the emergency room.

22 million - 14 million = 8 million.

So let us review. Out of 50 million uninsured:

This leaves a total of approximately eight million chronically uninsured Americans who really do need assistance -- they need our help.

But mind you, even though these eight million don't have insurance, they can still get emergency room care, visit a community hospital, visit a community clinic, or even call 911 and have paramedics respond to their homes cost-free (as long as they are not transported).

No way, you say?

Way. In B2's Florida county, uninsured people have access to everything described above, but they aren't covered for routine check-ups and preventative care.

Which is why our government should be focused on helping the truly needy, rather than attempting to take over and mismanage our entire health care, medical, and insurance systems.

Whenever they speak, question

We all must question the brain-numbing statistics politicians regularly spout, because the days when State-run Media would hold them accountable are long gone. Media's ideological soul mates now hold absolute power and they will do anything to help them keep it.

Here's an example of how they skew statistics.

As we just learned, of the 14 million uninsured who could be insured if they would just sign up for the programs, more than 70 percent of uninsured children are eligible for either Medicaid, SCHIP, or both programs.

Yet Obama likes to bandy about the phrase "8 million children uninsured" when in reality he knows better. Six million of those children are currently uninsured for no reason other than the fact that they have not been enrolled in one of the available, free insurance programs.

Remember that the next time Obama tries to mislead you.

Apply common sense

It should be obvious that any attempt to solve the uninsured problem should focus on the eight million uninsured, rather than a statist government seizing 15 percent of the American economy. There is no critical impetus for amassing a vast, much more costly, and inefficient central authority to direct and control the rationing of mediocre socialized health care and medical treatment.

Besides, we already know through experience that adding more government layers and more government red tape does nothing but make bad situations worse. The eight million uninsured don't need more bureaucracy or regulatory layers, they need basic, affordable coverage that will cover catastrophic illness.

A huge, burgeoning, socialized, over-regulating health care ministry will only acerbate the very reason why health insurance is so expensive in the first place:

Government meddling and over-regulation.

Recap

If you haven't already done so, read the first article in this series, 1. Time to get involved. It explains why we are covering this material, and why it is critically important that you get involved.

Links to the proposed legislation and all of the articles in this series are available to you now, right at the top of this site's home page. You can also find links to your Senators, Representatives, and Downsize DC -- and they will stay there all this month.

Help end the statist ambition to eliminate our individual control over our own lives and the welfare of our families.

Also, remember the name Sally C. Pipes. Almost every bit of technical data you read here has been exhaustively researched by Ms. Pipes and the Pacific Research Institute. The final article in this health care series will be all about the amazing Sally Pipes and her even more amazing work.

Hype and Chains.

Next: 3. Health care cost vs value