How Big Is the Problem?
We all know that there are Americans out there who want health insurance, but simply can’t afford it. How big is this problem? From Daylight’s Mark via McArdle comes the argument that the problem is not as big as we think:
On the 47 million people without health insurance point, that too is a statistic where there is less than meets the eye. … Of that 47 million, 14 million are already eligible for existing programs (Medicare, Medicaid, veterans’ benefits, SCHIP) yet have not enrolled, 9.7 million are not citizens, 9.1 million have household incomes over $75,000 and could but choose not to purchase insurance, and somewhere between 3 and 5 million are uninsured briefly(<2 months) between jobs. That leaves about 10 million Americans who are chronically without insurance. Needless to say, extending the blanket of coverage to this group should not cost $1.5 trillion and require a wholesale overhaul of all of medicine.
The post is worth reading in its entirity for his thoughtful approach to the entire healthcare question, especially the discussion of what is a right vs an earned priviledge and the fact that Americans do, overall, pay more for health care.