Well, Mark Steyn conveniently breaks that number down for us in the OC Register today. The U.S. Census Bureau claims 45 million uninsured, of which:
9 million aren’t American, they’re foreign nationals;Leaving 9 million, many of whom are uninsured only temporarily - while changing jobs, for example.
9 million are insured through Medicare;
18 million in the 18-34 age group are healthy and opt to ‘risk it’;
Furthermore, CB stats show that a large chunk of the 45 million "uninsured" is quite well-to-do - not the struggling, poverty stricken lot that the universal-healthcare-pushers try to portray:
37% earn more than $50,000 a year; andSo the next time Jack Layton, Roy Romanow, the nurses union or the CBC invokes the alarming spectre of "40 million uninsured" Americans, yell ‘BULLSH*T!’ with confidence.
19% more than $75,000.
I think the state of medicare for the poor in the U.S. is, nevertheless, well documented. I assure you that despite statistical discrepancies, you would not want to be one of those people.
ReplyDeleteThe 50% of personal bankruptcies caused by medical bill is also bullshit.
ReplyDeleteThe stat includes anyone who declares bankruptcy and has medical bills of more that $1000.00 over two years.
That alone would not force anyone into bankruptcy.
Raphael, in fact if you are uninsured in the US and poor, you have little to worry about, you WILL get healthcare. There are several programs that will cover you.
The other good thing about healthcare in the US is that if you have a serious illness, you will probably live. The survival rates for cancers and many other maladies are much higher in the US than in the UK.
Rapheal:
ReplyDeleteHave you ever lived in the US? Have you ever tried to get care in Canada for a non emergent non life threating condition? Do you know people in the US on Medicare or Medicaid? How can you make these generalisations?
I am sure you don't know anything about the system or the people yet piously preach. I do know. I have lived there for 20 years.
Everyone has health care , free if they want it in the US, as every county Hospital must treat its residents for free.
I was going to give a long summary but I realise I am pissing in the wind and wasting my time, with a know nothing, do nothing, like you so go do some reasearch before you propagate lies.
Raphael, wow. I just got deja vu. I happened to just come from a post re: Global Warming over at Canadian Blue Lemons where you also basically said: hey, it's not important that we leftards got caught, in the past, using bullshit statistics to try and scare the shit out of everyone, trust us now. Great case you make there dude.
ReplyDelete85% of people living in poverty in the USA report that they have no unmet need for a doctor:
ReplyDeleteUS Poor Never So Rich
Excellent responses to Raphael's comments - thanks.
ReplyDeleteUsing bogus statistics painting a false picture of the American medical system is a pathetically dishonest way to defend of our own badly flawed system.
You write very well.
ReplyDelete