Number of uninsured Americans lowest in more than 5 years

[eric82oslo]

The number of uninsured Americans has dropped by a whooping 2% (percentage points), from 18% to 16% in less than half a year. In fact, the number hasn't been this low since the fall of 2008. Especially strong drop has been seen amongst the very oldest. Those 65 and older had an uninsured percentage of 3.7% in 2009. Today, it's cut almost in half, down to only 2.1%. Also the youngest cohort has seen a rapid drop in the number of uninsured. For the 18-25 year olds, the number of uninsured has dropped from 28.7% in 2009 to only 23.3% today. For the slightly older, the 26-34 year olds, their uninsured rate was 30.2% last fall. Today it's already down to 25.7%.

The only age group which has seen an almost continuing steady increase in the number of uninsured has been the 35-64 year olds. The number of uninsured in this group accelerated from only 13.3% in 2008 till 18.2% last fall. Though during the past 5 months or so, their uninsured number has dropped by a fairly impressive 1.4% (percentage point) as well.

Which, if any, impact might these impressive drops in the number of uninsured Americans have for the upcoming two election cycles, in 2014 and 2016? Could Democrats potentially turn the whole Obamacare debacle on its head and actually make this a winning issue in the end?

Gallups numbers and analysis: http://www.gallup.com/poll/167393/uninsured-rate-drops-far-first-quarter-2014.aspx?ref=image

[MurrayBannerman]

I don't think they can turn it around without a serious, positive effect on the insured, which is the dominant group.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Why is this inherently a good thing? Of course the figure will be low if people are being forced to buy insurance!

[eric82oslo]

Why is this inherently a good thing? Of course the figure will be low if people are being forced to buy insurance!

Isn't it a good thing that people have health insurance? Or do you rather prefer them to die cause they can't afford to pay their medical bills?

[DC Al Fine]

Why is this inherently a good thing? Of course the figure will be low if people are being forced to buy insurance!

Isn't it a good thing that people have health insurance? Or do you rather prefer them to die cause they can't afford to pay their medical bills?

Good lord that's hysterical, and I say that as a universal healthcare supporter. The biggest problem with US healthcare pre-Obama was bankruptcy, not people dying in the streets

Anyways, I guess this is to be expected. Obamacare+economic recovery results in more insurance.

[King]

Why is this inherently a good thing? Of course the figure will be low if people are being forced to buy insurance!

• Creates jobs in the healthcare sector
• Increases disposable income

I think that's enough for starters.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Why is this inherently a good thing? Of course the figure will be low if people are being forced to buy insurance!

• Creates jobs in the healthcare sector
• Increases disposable income

I think that's enough for starters.

Demand for healthcare, and the need for more positions in health care, is already in very high supply without more people insured. Unemployment in the health care industry has been not much more than half of what it is in the economy as a whole.  And that disposable income is basically a transfer payment, either between people or even just from one part of a person's budget to another.  It doesn't come free. 

[Indy Texas]

I don't think they can turn it around without a serious, positive effect on the insured, which is the dominant group.

A lot of those insured have lower premiums than they did before. Nearly everyone over age 40 or so has at least one or two "preexisting conditions" that they no longer have to worry about being turned away for.

Unless you're a twentysomething year old, single, childless male who makes more than $70K a year or so, it's almost inevitable that you're going to be better off in some way.

The people in their 50s who will eventually have to give up their barebones plans with $15K deductibles had no business having those plans to begin with.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Why is this inherently a good thing? Of course the figure will be low if people are being forced to buy insurance!

Isn't it a good thing that people have health insurance? Or do you rather prefer them to die cause they can't afford to pay their medical bills?

Good lord that's hysterical, and I say that as a universal healthcare supporter. The biggest problem with US healthcare pre-Obama was bankruptcy, not people dying in the streets

Anyways, I guess this is to be expected. Obamacare+economic recovery results in more insurance.

People were dying in the streets, thousands of them, and if I'm not mistaken they still are.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Isn't it a good thing that people have health insurance? Or do you rather prefer them to die cause they can't afford to pay their medical bills?

Good that they have insurance.  Bad that they are forced to buy it through the same broken system of private health insurance, with bloated administrative costs, byzantine regulations, and excessive profits for companies that do no good for the public other than stand as middle men between doctors and their patients.

This whole mess should be ditched for single-payer.  I didn't used to think this way, but I've come around on the concept.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Why is this inherently a good thing? Of course the figure will be low if people are being forced to buy insurance!

Isn't it a good thing that people have health insurance? Or do you rather prefer them to die cause they can't afford to pay their medical bills?

Yes, this is what the GOP succeeding in doing for years with their free market experiment. 

[sdu754]

Why is this inherently a good thing? Of course the figure will be low if people are being forced to buy insurance!

Not only that, the numbers are the lowest in 5 years, which means since 2009. We're not even back to where things were when Bush was president, and that wasn't with a force law.

What does that study say about cost? I'm sure it's higher.

[Mr. Morden]

OK, tenuous connection to 2016 election.  Moving to US General Discussion….

[tik 🪀✨]

Why is this inherently a good thing? Of course the figure will be low if people are being forced to buy insurance!

Not only that, the numbers are the lowest in 5 years, which means since 2009. We're not even back to where things were when Bush was president, and that wasn't with a force law.

What does that study say about cost? I'm sure it's higher.

It's too bad there isn't some rational explanation that might shed light on why there were so many more uninsured after 2008. Oh well!

[dead0man]

Nearly everyone over age 40 or so has at least one or two "preexisting conditions"

That doesn't seem right to this 40 year old.  In fact, I'd be shocked if it was over 50%.

[tik 🪀✨]

Nearly everyone over age 40 or so has at least one or two "preexisting conditions"

That doesn't seem right to this 40 year old.  In fact, I'd be shocked if it was over 50%.

How is a pre-existing condition defined? Depending on how strictly, either figure could be true.

[dead0man]

I would assume it would only count medical conditions that either need constant maintenance to control or have a potential for serious bills sooner rather than later, not things like a sore knee you need to take OTC pain medication for a few times a month.

[Bojack Horseman]

Most of these "Obamacare horror stories" you see on TV are victims of right-wing hysterics. For example, Julie with cancer in the Koch brothers ad you see here in Michigan had a crappy insurance plan that was cancelled, and the reason she couldn't get a new plan was because the Republicans in Lansing had to be dragged by Gov. Snyder and the Democrats kicking and screaming to create an exchange, which doesn't take effect until April.

Unfortunately most of those in red states are never going to have an exchange or a Medicaid expansion, so they can't get a plan. So in other words, the GOP's main election message for 2014 is, "We're directly responsible for you not being able to get an affordable health plan that was better than the one you had before, so vote for us because we screwed you over."

[H. Ross Peron]

Good, hopefully this is a start of a trend

[All Along The Watchtower]

Unfortunately most of those in red states are never going to have an exchange or a Medicaid expansion, so they can't get a plan. So in other words, the GOP's main election message for 2014 is, "We're directly responsible for you not being able to get an affordable health plan that was better than the one you had before, so vote for us because we screwed you over."

Actually, the explicit message was, "OBUMMER is the reason you don't have a solid affordable health plan."

They leave out the part in the middle of that sentence that says, "We screwed over our fellow Americans to score political points against Obama."

[AggregateDemand]

Actually, the explicit message was, "OBUMMER is the reason you don't have a solid affordable health plan."

They leave out the part in the middle of that sentence that says, "We screwed over our fellow Americans to score political points against Obama."

Sure. An impotent congressional minority who throw crybaby fits for 24 months is the reason Democrats were incompetent legislators and incapable of reaching compromise in their own party.

[AggregateDemand]

Manipulating the number of insured people with Medicaid/Medicare is not the end goal.

1. US healthcare costs per capita - $8508 (OECD 2011)
2. Norway healthcare costs per capita - $5669 (OECD 2011)

1. US healthcare expenditures GDP - 17.7%
2. Netherlands healthcare expenditures GDP - 11.9%

American labor will continue to be outsourced until we tackle this problem. Obamacare might work slowly over time, but it maintains the existing system of employer-provided care. It has very little fundamental virtue.

[Reaganfan]

Why is this inherently a good thing? Of course the figure will be low if people are being forced to buy insurance!

Isn't it a good thing that people have health insurance? Or do you rather prefer them to die cause they can't afford to pay their medical bills?

This is what liberals, who claim to be so intelligent, just can't understand...you continually suffer from this illusion that the government can manage our society better than the individuals in this society. It goes directly against the American way to force something onto people. Period. Maybe that's the way you do it in Europe, lord knows we Americans know that because it was my countrymen that fought and died so that your country could be free of oppression.

[Хahar 🤔]

In fact, Naso, Sweden was a neutral party in World War II.

[Reaganfan]

In fact, Naso, Sweden was a neutral party in World War II.

In fact, Xahar, said poster is from Oslo.

Bazinga.