Growth of government insurance outpaces private care ..

[Hieronymus]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ieechZWJMqSYwxTVuEiipvNH84FgD9AKM3K80


Growth of gov't insurance outpaces private care
By HOPE YEN and FRANK BASS (AP) – 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans covered by government-sponsored health insurance plans surged to 87.4 million last year — or 29 percent of the U.S. population — amid a fierce, national debate about whether to create a new U.S.-run plan that any American could join.
The number of people covered by federal Medicaid, Medicare and military insurance plans was an increase from 83 million in 2007, according to census figures released Thursday. It partially offset the eighth straight year of declines in the percentage of people with employer-provided plans and highlighted the growing role of a government-offered insurance safety net.
Overall, the number of Americans without health insurance rose modestly to 46.3 million last year, up from 45.7 million in 2007. The poverty rate hit 13.2 percent, an 11-year high.
"The last decade has been marked by a steady increase in public insurance programs," said Mark McClellan, director of the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution. "People are certainly having more difficulty affording health insurance." <more>

[DBoon]

1. this is why private insurers are afraid of the public option nt

[David__77]

2. That's a good trend.

I've always been torn on the incrementalism vs. all-at-once reform concept. I think the former has definite advantages. For instance, we can cover "all children" and "all students under 25" and "all persons 55 and older" and so on, until the pool of those not eligible is dwarfed by everyone who is. That changes the facts on the ground. We'll see how it pans out, but I don't understand what's the point if there's no public option and no mandate on employers.