By Pastor Robert Emmitt
Who are the uninsured in America?
I am looking forward to watching President Obama's healthcare speech to Congress tonight. There is a lot of emotional appeal in the media to provide government health insurance to the uninsured of America. I wondered who the uninsured in America really are, and the following is what I found out.
Everyone in America has access to high quality medical care.
County Hospitals must provide healthcare to everyone who comes through their doors regardless of race, color, creed, condition, nationality, gender, employment, insurance, pre-existing conditions, warrants, citizenship, tax payer or not. Our property taxes already pay for this healthcare.
According to the 2006 Census Bureau Report
* 47 million Americans (15% of the population) do not have heath insurance. BUT...
* 14 million of them qualify for Medicaid and choose not to sign up. They are uninsured by choice. SO...
* 30 million are left uninsured. BUT...
* 20 million of them are between 18-34 years of age. They make over $50,000/yr. They are in relatively good health and are without insurance for an average of 4 months. SO...
* 10 million are really left uninsured in America. Millions of whom are illegal immigrants who will not sign up for government insurance for fear of deportation. BUT...
* They have access to quality healthcare at the county hospitals, already paid for by you and me.
If my numbers are incorrect please let me know. I found them on the editorial page of the Washington Times, June 25, 2009. I also checked research done by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Kaiser Family Foundation on the uninsured in America. Their numbers are similar. As it has been said, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts."
I pray for President Obama and the US Congress.
My faith in Jesus compels me to pray for those in authority. It also compels me to help the poor and the sick. I have done so in America and in developing countries around the world. Perhaps my opinion has been tainted by the poverty that I have seen, but I do not see a broken healthcare system in America that requires such drastic government intervention to insure 10 million people who already have access to quality healthcare. But I could be mistaken...
That's why I am looking forward to the President's speech tonight.
Your friend,
Robert Emmitt
http://www.communitybible.com