FreedomWorks Foundation Finds Relevant Number of Uninsured is 16 Million

Washington, DC – As the President and Congress push a massive $1.6 trillion dollar health plan this summer, the FreedomWorks Foundation is challenging how many Americans are uninsured.

FreedomWorks Foundation released Issue Analysis Number 126, “The Sources of Insurance: Private, Public, the Uninsured, and Reforms for the Future” by Max Pappas and Kristopher Rawls.  The study closely examines where Americans get their health insurance and exactly who in America is going without it. 

The study looks in detail at the often touted 45.7 million uninsured Americans and concludes that a much smaller number—16 million Americans—is the number that should be informing the debate. Given the millions of people who qualify for existing government insurance programs but do not take the benefits, the population making more than $50,000 a year who are uninsured, and the many non-residents who are ineligible for insurance, the more informative number of Americans for the health care reform debate is 5 percent of the population or 16 million.

FreedomWorks Foundation has long been an advocate of free market reform to health care to lower costs to increase affordability and to increase personal choice while maintaining quality.  Our health care deserves rigorous debate and an objective analysis of the statistics that are often used to argue for increased government control over health care.  A close look at the number and causes of uninsured Americans may lead policy makers to different decisions about health care that can result in better health outcomes and save both taxpayer dollars, too.

FreedomWorks Vice President, Public Policy Max Pappas commented:

“Helping 46 million people get health insurance probably calls for different policy solutions than helping 16 million.  Those in Washington seeking a much bigger role for government in health care know this, which is why they are using the bigger number.  The $1.6 trillion we are told current proposals will cost over 10 years comes to $35,000 per uninsured if it is to cover 46 million, but a far less palatable $100,000 per uninsured when the more accurate 16 million uninsured is used.”

To read the analysis, please visit http://www.freedomworks.org/files/FreedomWorks%20Issue%20Analysis%20Source%20of%20Insurance.pdf  for a PDF version of the study.

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