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September 14, 2004
Lacking any clear plan to offer affordable health insurance to all Americans, President Bush has decided to scare people with false claims that the government is trying to takeover the health delivery system. For the 45 million uninsured Americans and the millions of others facing steep increases in health care premiums, the president's revisited "Harry and Louise" strategy to derail health reform is more proof of his administration's incompetence in dealing with real pressures facing middle class families.
- The number of uninsured Americans has risen dramatically under President Bush. The Census Bureau recently reported that 45 million Americans lacked health insurance in 2003 – an increase of 1.4 million from 2002 and 5.2 million from 2000. The number of uninsured Americans on the president's watch is now greater than the total number of seniors aged 65 or older and roughly equal to the combined populations of California, Oregon, and Washington.
- Rising health care costs are squeezing middle class families and their employers. The inability to rein in double-digit increases in health care costs harms workers and employers alike. Already tight families must now contend with larger premiums and deductibles while employers must pay more and more to keep a healthy and productive work force. Health care costs now eat up 15 percent of the American economy – costs that dampen economic growth, investment, and job creation.
- The president's plans for Health Savings Accounts will only mean more uninsured and greater out-of-pocket expenses for workers. MIT economist Jonathan Gruber concludes that the president's proposed tax credits for individual health insurance and expanded health savings accounts (HSAs) would together cause 2.6 million people to lose their employment-based coverage and become uninsured. HSAs also require families to pay at least $2,000 – on top of insurance premiums – before any coverage kicks in.
Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund.
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Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund. |
