Uninsured patients increase in number....

[HM2VikingRN]

from the census bureau.

income climbs, poverty stabilizes, uninsured rate increases

real median household income in the united states rose by 1.1 percent between 2004 and 2005, reaching $46,326, according to a report released today by the u.s. census bureau. meanwhile, the nation's official poverty rate remained statistically unchanged at 12.6 percent. the percentage of people without health insurance coverage rose from 15.6 percent to 15.9 percent (46.6 million people).

these findings are contained in the income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the united states: 2005 [pdf] report. the report's data were compiled from information collected in the 2006 annual social and economic supplement (asec) to the current population survey (cps).

the trend lines are disturbing for both wages and access to health insurance.

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

Some Poverty Statistics from the Census Bureau. The third column is percent of people living in poverty. The last column is total families living in Poverty by percent.

1965...... 191,413 33,185 17.3 179,281 28,358 15.8

1964...... 189,710 36,055 19.0 177,653 30,912 17.4

1963...... 187,258 36,436 19.5 176,076 31,498 17.9

1962...... 184,276 38,625 21.0 173,263 33,623 19.4

1961...... 181,277 39,628 21.9 170,131 34,509 20.3

1960...... 179,503 39,851 22.2 168,615 34,925 20.7

1959...... 176,557 39,490 22.4 165,858 34,562 20.8

Versus:

1979 4/... 222,903 26,072 11.7 195,860 19,964 10.2

1978...... 215,656 24,497 11.4 191,071 19,062 10.0

1977...... 213,867 24,720 11.6 190,757 19,505 10.2

1976...... 212,303 24,975 11.8 190,844 19,632 10.3

1975...... 210,864 25,877 12.3 190,630 20,789 10.9

1974 3/... 209,362 23,370 11.2 190,436 18,817 9.9

1973...... 207,621 22,973 11.1 189,361 18,299 9.7

1972...... 206,004 24,460 11.9 189,193 19,577 10.3

Versus:

1988...... 243,530 31,745 13.0 208,056 24,048 11.6

1987 7/... 240,982 32,221 13.4 206,877 24,725 12.0

1986...... 238,554 32,370 13.6 205,459 24,754 12.0

1985 ..... 236,594 33,064 14.0 203,963 25,729 12.6

1984...... 233,816 33,700 14.4 202,288 26,458 13.1

1983 6/... 231,700 35,303 15.2 201,338 27,933 13.9

1982...... 229,412 34,398 15.0 200,385 27,349 13.6

Versus:

2005...... 293,135 36,950 12.6 242,389 26,068 10.8

2004 14/.. 290,617 37,040 12.7 240,754 26,544 11.0

2003...... 287,699 35,861 12.5 238,903 25,684 10.8

2002...... 285,317 34,570 12.1 236,921 24,534 10.4

2001...... 281,475 32,907 11.7 233,911 23,215 9.9

2000 12/.. 278,944 31,581 11.3 231,909 22,347 9.6

As I wrote earlier the war on poverty was working. We have started to lose the battle as a society. (The erosion of average incomes is creeping up into the middle class.)

[CseMgr1, ASN, RN]

..And so are the collection tactics which are being pursued by providers on the uninsured and underinsured.

My sister, who was laid off from her job in 2001 and was diagnosed with a recurring type of bladder cancer last year and will be uninsurable until she becomes eligible for Medicare in 2009 when she turns 62, is still being hounded by debt collectors for back medical bills which she can't pay. She applied for public assistance but was turned down because my BIL's VA and Social Security income is "too high". She finally told one of the collectors last week to stop calling her, which will more than likely generate a demand letter from their collection attorney. And my son, whose company's group insurance plan is self-funded, was turned over to a collection agency after he was stuck with a $700.00 co-pay on a hospital bill for my then two-month-old grandson who was being evaluated for possible nephrotic syndrome. In the meantime, his older sister and brother get the normal childhood illnesses and have to go to the doctor, too, and the co-pays are outrageous. My son also has suspected sleep apnea, but can't afford to have a sleep study done because he would have to pay another $700.00 out of pocket, and he doesn't have it. Between his rising debt for all of these co-pays and interest rates on his mortgage, he's being forced to sell his dream home, which he has only been in for two years.

So much for the "American Dream".

I've also included a link to a news article published by The National Consumer Law Center, detailing the horror stories of several uninsured and underinsured people who lost everything they had...simply because they got sick. I cried when I read it, for they had worked so hard all their lives...and wound up with nothing to show for it.

http://www.consumerlaw.org/news/content/medicaldebt.pdf

[pickledpepperRN]

we the people of the united states, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the united states of america.

article i

section 8. the congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the united states; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the united states;

to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution in the government of the united states, or in any department or officer thereof.

congress would be acting within its constitutional authority if it established a single payer health system. as i see it the constitution was written for protection of the people not just corporations. no one person can go it alone. as a society we have to work together to make things better if we are to succeed over the long run. if we view society as only a series of competing groups without obligation to establishment of the common good and shared sacrifice we are then building a house divided against itself. i think it was jim hightower's father who said "everybody does better when everybody does better." health care is a matter of long-term national prosperity and defense. it is time to build a better system for the benefit of all americans. doing nothing is not an option.

thank you.

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

we the people of the united states, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the united states of america.

article i

section 8. the congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the united states; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the united states;

to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution in the government of the united states, or in any department or officer thereof.

congress would be acting within its constitutional authority if it established a single payer health system. as i see it the constitution was written for protection of the people not just corporations. no one person can go it alone. as a society we have to work together to make things better if we are to succeed over the long run. if we view society as only a series of competing groups without obligation to establishment of the common good and shared sacrifice we are then building a house divided against itself. i think it was jim hightower's father who said "everybody does better when everybody does better." health care is a matter of long-term national prosperity and defense. it is time to build a better system for the benefit of all americans. doing nothing is not an option.

except that, if you keep reading, the constitution grants congress limited, enumerated powers by which to ensure the preamble. and, a national healthcare plan is not an enumerated power of congress.

the 10th amendment makes clear that, if not enumerated, such powers do not belong to congress.

meddling in the healthcare of citizens was not considered congress' perogative. there is no constitutional authority for raping such powers from the states and individuals.

~faith,

timothy.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Has anyone researched Ahnulds political contribution list? I would be willing to bet that PHRMA has dumped a pile of cash in his campaign fund. If I lived in CA I know that I would vote for Angelides.

Angelides has his own "dumped" pile of cash. Dems are not immune to taking contributions.

I didn't vote for Arnold originally - I voted for the real conservative:rolleyes: . But this time around I may have to vote for him as Angelides does not represent me.

steph

[pickledpepperRN]

I think EMTALA and other laws were enacted by the federal government to promote the general welfare.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/EMTALA/

The Constitution of the United States of America

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Section 8. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

[pickledpepperRN]

The constitutionality of the Social Security Act was settled in a set of Supreme Court decisions issued in May 1937. The text of those decisions, with dissents, is presented here. (We also include a brief historical essay to help general readers better understand the context of the decisions.)

http://www.ssa.gov/history/court.html

[PANurseRN1]

I guess it makes no sense to argue, in this day and age when the Constitution is a mere concept and not the actual founding of our law, to state that the Federal Gov't has no Constituional Power to enact national healthcare and that the 10th Amendment specifically forbids it from exercising Powers not specifically granted it.

The REASON why Congress has only limited, enumerated powers was to keep it from meddling in our lives. I neither want nor need such meddling. I don't see how lowering healthcare to the lowest common denominator is either Constituional or wise.

As such, requiring those that DO work to provide for those that DON'T is an unConstituional theft of not only the fiduciary nature, but of Power.

Or, as JFK once said, 'Ask not what your Country can do for you, but what you can do for your Country'.

When you take away individual responsibilities, you also take away individual rights. I just can't see the benefit of a gov't that coins the term, "Who's your Daddy" for itself.

~faith,

Timothy.

Well, the "Ask not..." is a great line, but its application here is inapt. There are some people, owing to mental illness or profound disability, who will need our assistance. At the risk of sounding preachy, "Whatever you did unto one of the least, you did to me."

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

except that, if you keep reading, the constitution grants congress limited, enumerated powers by which to ensure the preamble. and, a national healthcare plan is not an enumerated power of congress.

quote]

by definition, congress has the ability to provide for the general welfare through enactment of statutes. the framers gave congress room to meet the needs of the nation as a whole with a "kitchen sink" clause. no one in 1787 could have foreseen every need for national development in the next 250 years. the last clause of section 8 (see below) was written in a way to allow duly elected representatives the power to enact statutes on behalf of the nation as needed.

to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution in the government of the united states, or in any department or officer thereof.

[twograce]

wait until you are on the recieving end.....

[RNurseIam]

I began an an accelerated nursing course thinking I could live without health insurance for one year. Eight months into it, my periods were getting way too heavy. I went to a clinic where I was diagnosed with a uterine fibroid that was the equivalent size of a three-month pregnancy. Six weeks later it was diagnosed as cancer. I had a total hyster and four months later had a lobe in my lung removed for a met there. I have rung up about $60,000 in bills. I never had health problems before this. That's why I thought I could make it a year without insurance.

I also didn't qualify for Medicaid because I don't have children. I've been paying taxes since I was 18 y.o. The one time I needed a little help I don't qualify. Because I don't have children.

Cathy

[moodychick, LPN]

RGN1,

This scenario sounds painfully familiar to what's happened in the USA for years!

Folks get used to "hand-outs"; and it lives on in the family for generations!

Immigrants come over and immediately get on the welfare rolls. Good honest working-for-less-than-minimum or minimum wage, or just having a bout of hard luck for awhile can't get help!!! I always feel bad for the folks who come in to ER, who ARE working and have absolutely NO benefits. There but for the grace of God go I!!!! On the other hand, you have folks who just plain don't want a J-O-B; and they're rolling in benefits!!!!!

I've never been able to understand it!