Harry Krause wrote:
From USA TODAY, 8/29/06:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...e_x.htm?csp=34


Americans without health insurance rise as job-based coverage
continues to fall

By Julie Appleby, USA TODAY

Job-based health insurance -- the main way Americans get coverage --
fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2005, helping push the overall
percentage of Americans without health insurance up to 15.9% of the
population.

Figures released Tuesday by the Census Bureau show that 46.6 million
people were without health insurance in 2005, up from 45.3 million in
2004.

Unlike in other recent years, there was no increase in the rate of
enrollment in government-based programs, such as Medicaid, which had
helped to offset declines in private insurance.

The continued decline in job-based insurance comes amid rising health
insurance premiums, up about 9% in 2005, a smaller increase than in
several previous years, but still three times inflation.

Many benefit analysts and economists predict that rates for insurance
will continue to rise faster than inflation.

"It's especially worrisome because if we get into another economic
downturn, there will be even fewer people with access to employer
coverage or fewer who can afford it," says Peter Cunningham, senior
fellow at the Center for Studying Health System Change, a Washington
D.C. research group.

Even the percentage of children without coverage grew last year, from
10.8% to 11.2%, ending what had been one of the few bright spots in
the effort to decrease the number of people without health coverage.

"This really represents the first increase in the percent of children
who are uninsured since 1998," when the State Children's Health
Insurance Program went into effect, says Cunningham.
- - - - - - - - -


Ahh, the Republican wet dream realized:

A huge and growing underclass of Americans with marginal jobs and no
benefits
More tax cuts for the wealthy
High oil prices
A permanent state of war
Repression of civil liberties


Yes, indeed, we're well on our way.


Yup.. we're well on the way back to a feudal system.
The Lords & Masters will own/control all and the majority will be
nothing better than serfs or slaves. let's hope all our grandchildren
will be part of the 10% elite class.