Filmmaker Stuart Browning has a response to Michael Moore’s Sicko explaining who the insured are in America–for those of you who prefer to read a transcript rather than watch the short film, go here.
Who are the Uninsured in America?
Here are some of the more interesting statistical highlights on this complex problem as quoted in the transcript. The media and our politicians talk about how it is a shame that United States has 45 million uninsured and how simple it should be to provide universal health care. On the farm we have a saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.”
- “According to the US Census Bureau, 17 million of those without health insurance live in households having over $50,000 in annual income. That’s 38% of the uninsured in America.(2)”
- “In fact, 9 million – 20% of the uninsured – reside in households pulling down more than $75K a year. (3)”
- “Over 18 million of the uninsured are people between the ages of 18 and 34. (4) They spend more than four times as much on alcohol, tobacco, entertainment and dining out as they do for out-of-pocket spending on health care.(5) They represent 40% of the uninsured in America.”
- “14 million people without health insurance are eligible for government health care programs like Medicaid and S-CHIP but choose not to enroll. (7) They represent %31 – nearly one third – of the uninsured in America.”
- “So, how many are truly uninsured? Around eight million. Just 18% of the 45 million that we hear about so often. (11) “