If nobody took the trouble to prove scientifically what we already know, then what we already know wouldn't be actual knowledge, right? Of course it still would have to be on TV before it was really real . . .
Anyway, the Commonwealth Fund (my favorite charity) has released a new report that tells us that the number of Americans without health insurance has gone up (again), 45 million at last count. Why? Because of "a decline in employer-sponsored health insurance coverage." And the consequences? The worst thing a poor person in this country can do is get a job. Now you're kicked off of Medicaid but your job doesn't come with health insurance and you sure as hell can't afford to buy it. 26% of the workforce makes less than $10/hr., and another 24% between $10 and $15. 46% of the people earning less than $10 and 20% earning $10-15 lacked health insurance at some point during the year. And of course, the low-paid workers are:
Less likely to have a regular doctor;
Less likely to have had their blood pressure checked;
Less likely to have had their cholesterol checked;
Less likely (for women) to have haed a pap test or a mammogram.
They're more likely to have had trouble paying for medical care and be behind on medical bills . . .
etc. etc.
Yeah, these are those lazy, shiftless good-for-nothing poor people George W. Bush complained to his business school professor about. You know, the ones who are working full time doing nasty jobs, like changing the bed pans in nursing homes and gutting the chickens for your cordon bleu . . .
Commonwealth Fund
And check out the rest of their publications here as well.
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