November 22, 2009
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Report gives snapshot of region's uninsured
As leaders in the nation's capital maneuver with health-care reform, a federal agency has provided a snapshot of the nation's uninsured.
True, the snapshot is three years old, but the Small Area Health Insurance Estimates report released Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau provides baseline numbers for context in the ongoing debate on medical coverage.
According to the report, about one in six Northwest Missouri residents younger than 65 lacked health insurance in 2006. In 16 counties in that part of the state, 41,401 went without coverage as of July that year.
Buchanan County had the fewest number of uninsured, at about 12 percent. Worth County had the most, about 25 percent.
Statewide, the percentage of uninsured was 14.5 percent. The Kansas figure was 13.5 percent.
For the 16-county region, the rate of uninsured was about 16 percent.
In Buchanan County, the uninsured numbered 8,520 residents. That was second in the region behind Platte County, with 11,296 uninsured (about 14.5 percent).
Not surprisingly, people in lower income situations were more likely to lack health coverage. The report said that Buchanan Countians at least 200 percent of the federal poverty level totaled 21 percent in the uninsured category. In Worth County, that hit about 40 percent.
The estimates were based on statistical models that took into account such things as population estimates, business patterns, Medicaid participation and tax returns.
The percentage of uninsured by Northwest Missouri county was:
Andrew County 16.8
Atchison County 22.1
Buchanan County 12
Caldwell County 19.3
Clinton County 16.7
Daviess County 21
DeKalb County 19.2
Gentry County 22.9
Grundy County 15.6
Harrison County 18.1
Holt County 20.7
Livingston County 14.5
Mercer County 21.6
Nodaway County 21.3
Platte County 14.5
Worth County 25.3
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Isn't it interesting that when numbers are produced to argue for a single payer health care, it is always "projections based on statistical models" not hard numbers. The fact remains that just because a person does not have health insurance, does not mean that they can not get health care. It is still against the law for an emergancy room to refuse service to anyone. If you doubt that, go check out our local ER and see how many of our friends from south of the border who lack the documentation to secure legit employment are hanging out in the waiting room for service. The US has the best health care system in the world. Why would we want to reduce the quality and quantity of our health care? There is a reason people come to the US from all over the world for health care. That includes Great Britian and Canada. Their residents come here when they care in a timely manner. Wake up America, your country is being taken away from you and this is just the first step.