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Goanetter Francis Rodrigues (Vasco/Toronto) book launch in
London, England @ the World Goa Day festivities on 15 Aug at 7pm
Details http://www.konkanisongbook.com
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Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:26:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: lyrawmn <[email protected]>
There is confusion on the numbers, and characteristics of the uninsured
(health) in the US.
The information in M. Goveia post is severely at variance with what has been
published.
Mario responds:
My information is less misleading once we factor in reality and common sense
than what is insinuated by lyrawmn.
To begin with, the common-sense objective should be to help people who really
need financial help in obtaining health care coverage, not just everyone who
does not have it. There are millions who don't have health insurance who can
afford to buy it but haven't done so. It is silly to assume that everyone who
does not have health insurance needs taxpayer help in getting it.
The statists who want the government to destroy the current American system
instead of truly reforming it to help those who need help, estimate the
uninsured as 47 million. The extremists inflate this even higher. The
realists like myself make common sense adjustments to find those who really
need help so we can better help them.
The 47 million figure includes everyone who did not have coverage for even ONE
DAY during the period, which has nothing to do with how many people should get
taxpayer funded assistance.
In fact, the average time many working Americans are uninsured is a few months
not years. They are uninsured simply because, due mostly to government
interference in the free market, tax benefits (social engineering through
taxation) and employer/employee expectations, most people get their health
insurance at work. So, the average time between jobs and health insurance
coverage is a few months, not years.
Next, we have 10-12 million ILLEGAL ALIENS that are included in this figure.
Thus these are not AMERICANS who tax paying Americans should be helping.
This leaves 35 million.
Then we have the 30 and under age group who can afford insurance, but choose
not to get it. They do not believe that they really need it.
Then we have the self employed middle-income people who make over $75,000 a
year and also CHOOSE not to have insurance even though they can afford to buy
it.
In 2007, 17.6 million of the uninsured had annual incomes of more than $50,000
and 9.1 million earned more than $75,000.
Then there are millions who ARE eligible for government benefits, who either do
not know or do not bother to enroll themselves. Emergency rooms routinely OFFER
to help them enroll, but still many do not. Privacy issues? Don't like the
government? Don't want to bother? All of the above?
When all these factors are considered, the real number of those Americans who
through no fault of their own cannot get any health care insurance either
through pre existing conditions or are not poor enough to get Medicaid falls to
the neighborhood of 12-15 million people.
These are the hard core uninsured who really need help and should be helped.
