Number of Uninsured Americans Hits Record High – washingtonpost.com
The number of Americans without health insurance rose to a record high 47 million in 2006, largely because of continuing declines in employer-sponsored insurance coverage, the Census Bureau said today.In all, 15.8 percent of Americans lacked coverage last year, up from 15.3 percent in 2005, according to new figures from the Current Population Survey. That tied 1998 as the year with the highest percentage of uninsured people over the last two decades.
Maybe that has something to do with why the US has slipped to number 42 in life expectancy. Com’on everybody WE’RE 42, WE’RE 42, WE’RE 42, WE’RE 42!!
Children fared even worse. Last year 11.7 percent of youngsters under 18 years lacked health insurance, up from 10.9 percent in 2005. The percentage of uninsured children has increased two years in a row after declining for at least five years, according to the Census data.
Hopefully this will add to support for Congressional democrats in expanding SCHIP.
