David Online

Nothing to worry about here. Just a little old $1,500,000,000 health care administration obfuscation from the same good folks who run such efficient organizations as AMTRAC, the Post Office and the IRS.

The omniscient, omnipresent Obama says there are 45 million people in the U.S. without health care coverage. The equates to about 15% of the population which means 85% of us are covered by some type of health care coverage. And recent polls find that 70% of insured Americans rate their health care coverage good or excellent.

The problem with Obama’s 45 million uninsured is that its a static number in a dynamic culture. As George Will said, the number is a “snapshot” of a nation in which more than 20 million working Americans change jobs every year. John Kerry used the same 45 million number of uninsured in his 2004 presidential campaign. Obviously the 45 million uninsured today is not the same 45 million John Kerry talked about.

About 21% – almost 10 million – of the uninsured are not U.S. citizens, but illegal immigrants. Some 14 million others are eligible for existing government programs like Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, V.A. benefits, etc., but have not enrolled. And over 9 million of the uninsured have household incomes of at least $75,000, but for whatever reason, have chosen not to purchase insurance even though they can well afford it.

The last two groups of uninsured – those who already qualify for some type of health care coverage and those whose incomes are over $75,000 and could purchase insurance – account for over half of the 45 million uninsured.

To provide health care coverage for less than 4% of Americans, some 12 million citizens – Obama’s great plan is to dump the health care system that covers 85% of the nation and replace it with a government-run, single-payer, socialist monstrosity that is the bane of every country it has been imposed upon.