A Look at Health Care Coverage Numbers in the US

In the current battle over health care, you will hear a lot more of a ruckus over WHO is covered as opposed to much about the quality of coverage.  As a result, a lot of the debate is based on which politician is supplying the numbers themselves.

Here’s a look at the government’s data from the St. Louis Fed:

Below is the population of the US with coverage (255 million people), the number works out to around 85%…

Population Covered by Health Insurance

And then we see the percentage of those who are not covered (15% ish)…

Population Not Covered by Health Insurance

I don’t do a lot of political stuff here on TRB, but I feel compelled to add in my own two cents on the topic.  To me, I’m ok with a private system, provided that this system is based on reality and affordability.  For most Americans not working for a Fortune 500 company, to even use the term “affordable” would be a joke. 

The price of virtually every service and product has declined in price over the last 18 months.  Health care costs have increased, especially for small business owners and employees.

Competition across state lines would be one private insurance system solution, but here’s where we see the insurance companies for what they really are: Pigs.  They wrap themselves in the American flag and claim that their market should be capitalist and free, but the last thing they truly want is freedom – what they really want is to maintain their little feifdoms. 

They don’t want to compete because they can’t…the product and service they offer sucks too much.

Where’s Apple when you need someone to revolutionize a business and cater to the consumer?

Sources:

St. Louis Federal Reserve