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How many babies are uninsured in the United States?
I was quite shocked to hear this story about a 4-mo-old kid who had his insurance taken away because it weighed too much. Although I still don't understand why babies don't get free healthcare in the USA, but rejected for health insurance just blows my mind. Makes me wonder how many are effected by this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Z8nHkeSXg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Z8nHkeSXg
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It has been estimated that 46 million Americans are uninsured out of a total of 307 million. Of the total population, Medicare insures those over 65 or about 13%. So subtracting that leaves about 236 million. 46 million are uninsured, so the percentage uninsured is 46/236 or about 19%
In the year 2000, there 3.49% of the male population and 3.33% of the female population was under 4 years of age or 6.82%. You did not define what a baby was, but lets say it is 1 year and under. Then a straight line extrapolation would mean 1/4 of the 6.82% are babies, or 1.7% or 780,000 babies. 19% of them might be uninsured or 148,000. Add to that those families with insurance but possibly unhealthy babies, and you increase that by the amount of babies in the 95% percentile and up. So that would be 5% of 780,000 or 39,000.
Well, the problem in the US is that we have private for profit health insurance, so to make a profit, you would want to exclude those who are sick with pre-existing conditions and the poor, which tend to have higher health care costs. What we really need to do is get people healthier, which means there is going to be a battle between the fast food industry and the health insurance industry. Otherwise, this country is bankrupt.
Michael Pollan said in a recent NYTimes op-ed: "One of the leading products of the American food industry has become patients for the American health care industry.''
duenhsiyen
In the year 2000, there 3.49% of the male population and 3.33% of the female population was under 4 years of age or 6.82%. You did not define what a baby was, but lets say it is 1 year and under. Then a straight line extrapolation would mean 1/4 of the 6.82% are babies, or 1.7% or 780,000 babies. 19% of them might be uninsured or 148,000. Add to that those families with insurance but possibly unhealthy babies, and you increase that by the amount of babies in the 95% percentile and up. So that would be 5% of 780,000 or 39,000.
Well, the problem in the US is that we have private for profit health insurance, so to make a profit, you would want to exclude those who are sick with pre-existing conditions and the poor, which tend to have higher health care costs. What we really need to do is get people healthier, which means there is going to be a battle between the fast food industry and the health insurance industry. Otherwise, this country is bankrupt.
Michael Pollan said in a recent NYTimes op-ed: "One of the leading products of the American food industry has become patients for the American health care industry.''
duenhsiyen
source(s):
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161577.php
http://www.censusscope.org/us/chart_age.html
http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
http://www.data360.org/dsg.aspx?Data_Set_Group_Id=466http://robertreich.blo...
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/09/11/fast-food-can-our-health-care-syste...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html?_r=1
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161577.php
http://www.censusscope.org/us/chart_age.html
http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
http://www.data360.org/dsg.aspx?Data_Set_Group_Id=466http://robertreich.blo...
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/09/11/fast-food-can-our-health-care-syste...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html?_r=1
voted helpful: beast1oh1
I couldn't find any 2009 statistics...but this video is very concerning. There is an insurance called DSHS (department of social and health services) it is only for WA state...however...I would imagine that every state had some type of similar program to DSHS but that i'm not sure of. They have tons of options through DSHS for free childcare for newborns and the mothers...So it's very surprising and concerning that this child was not able to stay on healthcare....
Now I found a statistic for 2008 for uninsured kids...the number was 8.1 million. But that was up to age 18 (http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/still-too-many-uninsured-kids-2008.pdf)
I remember a project that was done in my class on uninsured children back in August as an Excel presentation. This lady was from Oregon so she did it just based on Oregon babies and her statistic was around 29,000 this was ranging from newborn to 3 years of age. So doing alittle guessing with math 29,000 x 50 = 1,450,000...Ridiculous!
The statistic I am most curious about is how this baby was "too fat"...how many are born and never recieve insurance and how many are kicked off because of their size.
Hope something in my answer helps :)
Now I found a statistic for 2008 for uninsured kids...the number was 8.1 million. But that was up to age 18 (http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/still-too-many-uninsured-kids-2008.pdf)
I remember a project that was done in my class on uninsured children back in August as an Excel presentation. This lady was from Oregon so she did it just based on Oregon babies and her statistic was around 29,000 this was ranging from newborn to 3 years of age. So doing alittle guessing with math 29,000 x 50 = 1,450,000...Ridiculous!
The statistic I am most curious about is how this baby was "too fat"...how many are born and never recieve insurance and how many are kicked off because of their size.
Hope something in my answer helps :)
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