White House Highlights Grim Scenarios

[babylonsister]

http://healthtopic.nationaljournal.com/2009/09/white-house-highlights.php#084720

White House Highlights Grim Scenarios

Jason Plautz
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 5:30 PM


The nation would see its uninsured population rise by almost 20 million people in 10 years if health care reform isn't enacted. That's according to a new report featured today on the White House blog, which lays out a doomsday scenario for the nation if Congress fails to enact health care reform by projecting statistics out over ten years. Using various data on employment, spending and health care costs, the report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute projects three possible economic scenarios for health insurance coverage in the next decade.

Under the worst-case scenario, in which employment remains stagnant and health care costs rise quicker than expected, the number of uninsured Americans would rise to 65.7 million (it currently stands around 46 million). Additionally, the rate of employer-sponsored insurance would fall to 49.2 percent in 2019, down from 56.1 percent currently. Even under the best-case scenario, employment-sponsored insurance would fall to 53.9 percent and 57 million would be uninsured. In the worst case, nationwide spending on Medicaid and CHIP would more than double, reaching $519.7 billion.

The report also projects the statistics by state, finding that 29 states would see their uninsured population increase by 30 percent. The state-by-state breakdown could prove valuable for Democrats trying to reach swing senators on the Finance Committee. For example, Maine, the home state of GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe, would see a 50.6 percent rise in Medicaid/CHIP spending under the best-case scenario and 97.6 percent under the worst. It would also see the rate of employment-sponsored insurance drop by as much as 7 percentage points. West Virginia -- home to Democrat Jay Rockefeller, who has come out against the Baucus plan -- could see an 80.3 percent rise in Medicaid/CHIP spending and a drop of 7 percentage points in employer-sponsored insurance. And Democrat Bill Nelson's state of Florida would experience a 117 percent rise in Medicaid/CHIP spending and a 7 percentage-point drop in employer insurance.

The White House is using the report as ammo to push Congress to pass a bill, saying "the cost of inaction is too high." The full report is available at link~

[Cha]

1. Let's hope this make an impression on those

who are leaning towards remaining stagnant.

The NO wing doesn't care.

[Trillo]

2. Why not just make Insurance Mandatory. Problem solved.

/sarcasm

Anyone who is poor and can't afford it can go to a re-education camp and learn new skills.

/reality