Why are 46m Americans living with-out health insurance.?

Question

Thank God I live in Canada.

Answer 1

Because they are so God damn healthy, they don't need it.

Answer 2

Most of the Americans without health insurance are the 18-26 group, healthy, and dont' think anything will go wrong with them, at least for the next ten years or so. It's a very short-sighted, stupid financial decision to not take the health insurance offered by their employers.

Most of the time, it cost them maybe $100 a month, the employer pays the rest. They'd rather have the $100 in pocket, and the possiblity of $100,000's of medical bills, than the protection.

It's a CHOICE, for the vast majority of Americans, and they just are being stupid about it.

THANK GOD I don't live in Canada. I've heard of the long waits for needed medical procedures, and the long waits for medical equipment - months and months and months. Public medicine works about as well as public housing - people who can afford private, get private.

Answer 3

We may have issues with the uninsured but they can walk into almost any hospital and receive care if needed. I don't see public health care as the solution.

Don't Canadians have to pay a tax rate of almost 50% and wait years for some medical services.

I am glad you are happy in Canada but I wouldn't leave the good old USA for anything. To each their own I suppose.

Answer 4

Because the folks that make that decision believe that there other things of greater priority. Money can be spent on a great many things. Insurance payments provide no immediate satisfaction. Their purpose is to provide a cushion during a medically tough time. When healthy priorities become cars, vacations, clothes etc.

The above comment is more applicable to younger folks. Older folks who find themselves without insurance and can't afford to pay made decisions earlier in life that did not include saving for things that they determined were not important like health insurance.

People need to live with their decisions. They made their beds and now should lie in them without society at large paying for their poor decision making.

And I am glad I do not live in Canada where I am taxed too much, for mediocre services.

Answer 5

That figure you gave is correct to an extent. Those Americans that qualify for medicaid, such as disabled & low income have medical insurance paid by the state they live in. Disabled persons have medicare & medicaid. Medicare is paid by the federal government. True the system is not perfect but it's better than nothing. Yes Canada has medical insurance and it's good but it's not free by a longshot. For example I recently renewed my drivers license in the US before I came to Ontario. It cost $15.00 to renew, last month I got an Ontario driver license for 6 year just like US for $75.00. So you see, there is always more to the story than meets the eye.

Answer 6

Because it's absurdly expensive. NY has a plan where they subsidize the cost of insurance for working people who can't afford the crazy amounts per month for insurance - it's called Healthy New York. It's the BEST thing Gov. Pataki EVER did! I wish more states did it.

Answer 7

It is so expensive. At my job for my daughter and I it is over 200.00 a month. I have a horrible deductible as well and my prescriptions for brand are 60.00 a month - after my deductible is met even. It is so expensive but a trip to the hospital if you cannot pay it ever goes on your credit. Health care is outrageous.

Answer 8

Have you seen the costs of Health Insurance in the USA ?

Answer 9

Overall premiums have increased 87 percent in the last six years, increases of more than 5 times the rate of inflation.

According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, of the working uninsured, who make up 83 percent of our nation’s uninsured population, 61 percent either work for a small business with fewer than 100 employees or are self-employed.

Struggling with skyrocketing premiums, these employers are forced to share this rising cost with employees by raising co-pays and deductibles in order to continue to provide any benefit at all.

Small businesses represent more than the American dream - they represent the American economy. Small businesses account for 95 percent of all employers, create half of our gross domestic product, and provide three out of four new jobs in this country. Many small-business owners say healthcare costs is one of their biggest problems. The cost of health-insurance premiums ranked as the top concern for small-business owners in a recent Federal Reserve survey (for the survey, small business was defined as fewer than 100 employees). Nearly two thirds of the business owners who responded to the survey said health-care costs limited their growth. Many small businesses want to offer health insurance, not only because it is a good business practice that helps them compete for good workers, but because it is the right thing to do. However, these small businesses face significant challenges in accessing affordable health insurance coverage. On average, their premiums are 20 to 30 percent higher than those of large, self-insured companies. Moreover, administrative expenses for small group plans account for 25 to 27 percent of premiums, compared to about 5 to 10 percent for large businesses. Only 47 percent of the smallest businesses, those with 3 to 9 workers, now offer health insurance as a workplace benefit. This is down from 52 percent in 2004, and 58 percent in 2002. In sharp contrast, 98 percent of larger businesses, those with 200 or more workers, offer health insurance as a benefit.

-A
licensed agent

Answer 10

I am one of those 46 million. The answer is money, and how much our pathetic excuse for a government and the crooks who run it can keep for themselves.