US uninsured numbers down, PhRMA calls for reforms

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has issued a response to the announcement by the US Census Bureau of the number of uninsured people by outlining its vision of the how to tackle the issue. The federal agency unexpectedly reported a drop in US citizens without insurance coverage at any time in the year, from 47 million (15.8%) in 2006 to 45.7 million (15.3%) in 2007. The number of uninsured children also fell, from 8.7 million (11.7%) in 2006 to 8.1 million (11%) the following year.

For federal and state authorities, the uninsured represent a double problem; on the one hand there is less likelihood of regular medical check-ups and preventative measures to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, with the additional burden of people using the emergency and public hospital system as an alternative to providing for themselves, which imposes costs on both states and the the federal government. A study commissioned by the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation recently estimated that nearly $43.0 billion per year is spent covering uncompensated health care by providers.

Peter Pitts, president of the New York-based think-tank, the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, noted that there is "very little discussion about who they are." Included in the ranks of the uninsured are about 20 million young people who are healthy but choose not to purchase health insurance, despite having income levels where they could do so, he said.