More people in U.S. lack health insurance: Census

[JohnBrowdie]

it would be fascinating to see the internals on these numbers, but I don't think they exist.  regardless, I am sure that we will hear a lot more about this story in the coming days.  they will continue to ignore the 17 million illegals, I suspect.  that may cause them to downplay this story a bit.

More people in U.S. lack health insurance: Census

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of people living in the United States without health insurance rose to 46.3 million in 2008 from 45.7 million a year earlier, a U.S. Census Bureau official said on Thursday.

David Johnson, who heads the Census Bureau's housing and household economic statistics division, told a telephone conference the data were collected in March of 2008 -- before the sharp economic downturn in the latter part of the year which saw many more people lose jobs and health insurance.

The new census numbers could feature in arguments over President Barack Obama's plans to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system and dramatically expand medical insurance coverage.

Johnson said that anyone who had insurance earlier in the year and lost it because of unemployment in the latter part of 2008 would have been counted in the report as having medical coverage -- meaning next year's uninsured numbers could be far worse.

The data showed that the number of people who were covered by private insurance fell between 2007 and 2008 and those enrolled in government health programs rose.

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[Vonne]

it would be fascinating to see the internals on these numbers, but I don't think they exist.

It is always fascinating to see the systems used to come up with these estimates.  I'm skeptical of most that I have read through.  Still, the general assertion from these purported findings.  That the number of uninsured has risen during this recession.  Seems quite reasonable and intuitive. 

[JohnBrowdie]

It is always fascinating to see the systems used to come up with these estimates.  I'm skeptical of most that I have read through.  Still, the general assertion from these purported findings.  That the number of uninsured has risen during this recession.  Seems quite reasonable and intuitive. 

I thought the same thing, but the article says that the data was collected until march of 2008, which was before the worst of the downturn.  so now I am again wondering who, specifically, these people are.

and holy CRAP, if april through the end of 2008 wasn't included in this survey, then the numbers are headed for pluto next year . . . assuming there isn't something goofy going on.

[JohnBrowdie]

this is making less and less sense.  you would almost have to count dead people among the "recently uninsured" to get a net gain of 600,000 people without insurance given the following:

The report said that between 2007 and 2008 the number of those with private coverage fell to 201 million in 2008 from 202 million in 2007. The number of people enrolled in government programs climbed to 87.4 million in 2008 from 83 million in 2007, it said.

lilnk

[Miss Mia]

this is making less and less sense.  you would almost have to count dead people among the "recently uninsured" to get a net gain of 600,000 people without insurance given the following:

I wonder how they're counting COBRA.