New Census Bureau Numbers Increase Estimates of Uninsured for 2000 and 2001

Release of Census Bureau's Uninsured Data is Forerunner of Much Larger Increases to Come

The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, regarding the Census Bureau's findings on the number of uninsured Americans:

"Last year, the Census Bureau reported that there were 38.7 million uninsured Americans in 2000. This year, the report provides a double whammy: it increases the estimate for 2000 from 38.7 million to 39.8 million and it estimates that the number of uninsured rose to 41.2 million in 2001.

"This new number means that there are more uninsured people than the aggregate population of 23 states plus the District of Columbia.

"The increased number of uninsured Americans is a forerunner of much larger increases to come. The confluence of four factors-much higher health care costs, employers passing on more of these costs to their workers, unemployment growth, and state cutbacks in Medicaid programs-all but guarantees that the number of uninsured people will skyrocket in the next few years.

"The only silver lining in this year's report is that public programs-such as Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)-covered more people last year and cushioned the loss of coverage in the private sector. This demonstrates that public program expansions should be enacted to increase health coverage for low-wage working adults."

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

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202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org