How Many Uninsured?

The exact number of Americans who lack health insurance has been in dispute. But debates about this miss the bigger point that, even for many who have insurance, the system doesn’t work. Steve Doocy of Fox & Friends makes this mistake:

Currently, 90 percent of all Americans have got some sort of health-care coverage, which means they are effectively blowing up the system for 5 percent. [1]

Never mind Doocy's fuzzy math. (100 - 90 = 5?) Even if it were true that 90 percent of Americans had "some sort of health-care coverage," that wouldn't mean that their insurance was adequate, affordable, or good enough quality to keep them in good health.

Tell Steve Doocy to check his math and check the facts—Americans don't have the health coverage they need.

Here's Amy's story, which shows why having "some sort of coverage" leaves many people feeling trapped and needing to fight for the coverage they've paid so much money for:

As a person with an "uninsurable" chronic illness (multiple sclerosis), I am very invested in how the health-care system impacts on my life. I live in fear that someday I will lose my very good—and very expensive—coverage and become unable to pay for my very good—and very, very expensive—medication. I currently pay a $4000 deductible to receive medication which costs $4000 a month.

I feel fortunate to be able to pay what I have to in order to be able to get this treatment. It means that I can continue to work full time and continue to pay taxes rather than being on disability and being a burden to other taxpayers.

Right now I am poised to have a successful private practice. I hope to provide quality mental health services to children (an underserved population). However, I am unable to leave my current job because I cannot buy insurance and I cannot go without health-care coverage.

I become very frustrated when I hear some of the arguments against health-care reform, such as, "I don't want government in my business." In the meantime, your insurance company is very much in your business, and not always with your best interest in mind.

My insurance company refused to pay for my prescribed medication because I had not filled out a survey which basically asked if I had any other insurance (I do not). This particular refusal to pay went on for several months, was rectified, and then started again in the new fiscal year.

As a mental health provider, I have also done battle on the other side, working many extra hours to get insurance to pay me for services the client is entitled to under their policy.

I know that, for me, the current system is fraught with fear and headaches. Why does this expensive, elitist, and discriminatory system garner such loyalty? Please look into facts, versus rumors, and overcome fear of change. Take it from the uninsurable. Reform needs to happen.