STOP Obamacare in Pennsylvania and the Uninsured

I came across this page on Facebook which seems at first glance to the novice to be diametrically opposite to the PUSH Facebook page.  Obamacare is not really single payer.  It does require everyone to purchase private health insurance but those who cannot have to pay a $20 fine.  It does not really guarantee universal coverage.  Also it is the for profit nature of the US health care system that drives up costs, not what is detailed in this group's page such as law suits and the unfettered free market. 

STOP Obamacare in Pennsylvania

The link to the group's webpage on the group's Facebook page has an analysis of the issue by a Dr. Nicholas Pandelidis in York, PA.  He begins by acknowledging the uninsured but only cites 2007 Census Bureau estimates of 47 million (it was really estimated to be 44 million in 2007) or 16% (it was estimated to be 14.7% in 2007) of the population before the recession instead of the estimated 49.9 million or 16.3% from 2010.  

Pandelidis also cites a 2008 study from the CDC which found that change in employment as the main factor in being uninsured for 24% of them.  This seems plausible although this data was also collected before the recession and the problem of unemployment is definitely worse now.  He cites another study from AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) which was also conducted before the recession and estimated that 55% of 18-24 year olds were uninsured for at least one month while "only" 18.2% were for four years.  This study reports that 11.1% in this age group were for four years.  Not mentioned by Pandelidis was that there were higher percentages in the other age groups of long term uninsured of 2 years or more.


Dr. Pandelidis then cites a 2009 paper from Baruch College at CUNY.  This paper also erroneously states that 2006 Census Bureau estimates of the uninsured were 47 million or 16% of the population (rather than 45.2 million and 15.3% according to their site).  The authors of this study also define those who are uninsured and have incomes above the poverty line as "voluntarily uninsured."  I believe it would be better to ask the uninsured directly if they choose to not have insurance.  They can have other expenses which may prevent them from purchasing insurance such as mortgages and student loans.


One study that is not mentioned by Dr. Pandelidis is from Harvard (It is a cheap trick in hiding behind the name of an institution to give a study legitimacy.) which estimated that there are an estimated annual 45,000 deaths in the US each year from a lack of insurance after adjusting for things like obesity, smoking, and poverty.  

Pandelidis talks about the usual conservative talking  points on health care such as tort reform and competition which will be discussed later. 


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