The Census released figures on the number of uninsured Americans Thursday.
Kaiser Health News reports: "More children had health insurance last year, partially offsetting a growing number of adults who lacked coverage as the troubled economy helped push insurance out of reach for many workers. New Census Bureau numbers show the total number of uninsured rose to 46.3 million in 2008, up from 45.6 million in 2007. The percentage of uninsured remained at 15.4 percent."
"Analysts expect the next Census report, which will be released next year but reflect conditions in 2009, to show an increase in the number of people without insurance, as well as a rise in the number who are living in poverty, reflecting the economy's continued distress and the rise in unemployment. ... If the trends in poverty and uninsurance worsen it will become harder and more expensive to do comprehensive reform, says Dan Mendelson, president of Avalere Health, a consulting firm in Washington" (Appleby, 9/10).
NPR includes a map of the Census data that shows the rate of people without health insurance in each state (9/10).
The New York Times reports: "In the recession, the nation's poverty rate climbed to 13.2 percent last year, up from 12.5 percent in 2007, according to an annual report released Thursday by the Census Bureau. ... The rise in the poverty rate, to the highest level since 1997, portends even larger increases this year, which has registered far higher unemployment than in 2008, economists said. The bureau said 39.8 million residents last year lived below the poverty line, defined as an income of $22,025 for a family of four" (Eckholm, 9/10).