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COVERAGE: 14,000 Americans Losing Insurance Each Day, CAP Action Fund Finds
The Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF) has done some math and reports that 14,000 Americans are losing their health insurance each day. More evidence, as if we needed it, that the recession is exacerbating what was already a crisis of the uninsured. CAPAF estimates that about 48 million Americans lack insurance now, with the number going up as the economy goes down.
The report points out that Medicaid and SCHIP have prevented many of the new jobless from losing insurance. The additional funds for Medicaid, SCHIP and COBRA subsidies in the economic stimulus legislation will also "absorb" some of the newly unemployed, blunting the growth of the ranks of the uninsured. But to tackle the problem instead of just slowing the bleeding, we need comprehensive health care reform that covers everyone and controls costs.
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Local fallout from the uninsurance rate
I work for community health centers in the San Francisco Bay Area - from this local perspective we're definitely seeing the fallout from the increase in the uninsurance rate. In Contra Costa County (east bay area), demand for public health programs and community-based services is exploding - the county's social services dept. saw a 76% increase in Medi-Cal (Medicaid) applications in 2008 over 2007. Community clinics are seeing double-digit increases in patient caseload; many of these patients are newly uninsured and are visiting health centers for the first time.
It's high time for comprehensive health reform.
Joanne Kenen Thanks.
Joanne Kenen Thanks. Schedule permitting, we plan on attending a briefing here in DC next week about community health centers and the crisis, so maybe we will have something to add to your observations soon..