Number of Uninsured up by 6 million under bush.

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Tue, 2 May 2006 20:00:38 EDT

Number of Uninsured up by 6 million under bush.

 

 

 

 

Bush Covering Uninsured Americans With More Failed Policies

Number Of Uninsured Up By 6 Million Under Bush

 

News from the DNC:

 

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

 

Washington, DC - This week is " Cover the Uninsured Week, " a time for

all Americans to bring attention to 46 million uninsured in our

country. In fact, under President's Bush's failed leadership, 6

million more Americans have become uninsured. [CPS, 10/05; KFF 2005]

 

Today, President Bush will speak to a gathering of the American

Hospital Association, but will offer more of the same special-interest

driven agenda that won't alleviate the problems faced by tens of

millions of uninsured Americans.

 

" The only thing President Bush is covering the uninsured with is more

failed policies and misleading rhetoric, " said Democratic National

Committee Communications Director Karen Finney. " President Bush has

undermined the health security of our nation, from the number of

uninsured to the impact on our businesses and on America's families.

 

" Millions of Americans have been forced to go without health insurance

and those with coverage are paying skyrocketing premiums. But,

President Bush and the Republican Congress have merely offered more of

the same special interest-driven agenda. Together, America can do

better. President Bush and Republicans in Washington should join

Democrats in fighting for access to affordable health care for all

Americans, not just those who can afford it. "

 

Americans Facing Massive Increases In Insurance Costs Under Bush

 

Premiums For Employer-Based Insurance Up 9 Percent in 2005. Premiums

for employer-based health insurance rose by 9.2 percent in 2005, the

fifth consecutive year of increases over 9 percent. All types of

health plans -- including health maintenance organizations (HMOs),

preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and point-of-service plans

(POS) -- showed this increase. [Kaiser Family Foundation, Employee

Health Benefits: 2005 Annual Survey, 9/14/05]

 

Employer-Based Insurance Premiums Outpacing Wages. Since 2000,

employment-based health insurance premiums have increased 73 percent,

compared to cumulative inflation of 14 percent and cumulative wage

growth of 15 percent during the same period. Workers are now paying

$1,094 more in premiums annually for family coverage than they did in

2000. [Kaiser Family Foundation, Employee Health Benefits: 2005 Annual

Survey, 9/14/05]

 

Bush's HSA's Scheme: A Bad Idea For America's Working Families

 

Bush Pushing for Health Coverage That Will Double Cost of Traditional

Health Plans. Bush is pushing a shift to a " consumer-based

healthcare, " where costs are cut because patients pay more medical

bills out of their own pocket. But this would segment the insurance

market by encouraging young, healthy workers to drop out of group

coverage. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,

" Premiums for comprehensive, employer-based coverage could more than

double if such accounts became widespread, according to major studies

conducted in the past by RAND, the Urban Institute, and the American

Academy of Actuaries. " Ultimately, traditional plans would be driven

out of the market as premiums spiral upward. [National Journal,

1/24/04; CBPP Fact Sheet, www.cbpp.org, 12/8/03; Gail Shearer,

Testimony Before Joint Economic Committee, 2/25/04,

www.consumersunion.org]

 

The Wealthy Will Be Chief Beneficiaries From Bush's Health Savings

Accounts. Under the Bush Medicare bill, both deposits and withdrawals

are tax exempt, making them an ideal mechanism to reduce taxable

income for the affluent. If individuals simply wait until retirement

age, they can withdraw these funds for non-medical purposes with no

penalty. In fact, the GAO has found that insurers have historically

marketed such accounts primarily for tax advantages, not health

benefits. [Democratic Policy Committee, democrats.senate.gov; CBPP,

3/2/00, 12/1/03]

 

Health Savings Accounts Will Cut Coverage, While Not Addressing The

Uninsured Problem. Tax deductions will do nothing to help most

uninsured people. According to the GAO, 90 percent of the uninsured

pay at or below the 15 percent tax bracket, meaning they would receive

little benefit from the Bush policies. Alan Weir of the Urban

Institute: " [A]t best, the budget proposal helps the wealthiest

Americans while doing nothing for the uninsured. But at worst, the

proposal increases the incentive for healthy people to leave the

broader risk pool, thereby increasing premiums for everyone else, and

making it harder for employers to continue providing coverage to their

employees. " [GAO, 6/10/98; Ronald Pollack, Testimony Dem. Policy

Committee, 1/6/04; Gail Shearer, Testimony Joint Economic Committee,

2/25/04; CBPP, 2/18/04; Alan Weil, Testimony House Budget Committee,

2/26/04]

 

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT