Yesterday, Mark Kirk told our local ABC affilliate that there's no need for health care reform because so few are uninsured, and those who are, don't really want it anyway.
Well, in April, the Chicago Tribune reported that "more than 30 percent of Illinois residents under age 65 were uninsured at some point during 2007 and 2008." In numbers, that was around 3.5 million. That's just in Illinois alone. Kirk's saying only around 8 million are uninsured in the entire country. Do you really think that Illinois has 44% of all the uninsured in the country? Of course not. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2007 there were about 44 million uninsured in the country, over 8 million of which were children. The Census Bureau reported 47 million uninsured in 2007, a 5% increase since 2005. There are more uninsured now because of all the unemployment.
The Tribune report on the uninsured in Illinois further found that there is a racial component to lack of insurance with 51% of Hispanics and 39% of African-Americans uninsured at some point during that 2007 and 2008.
Kirk adds that the uninsured are really all illegal aliens. I had no idea we had so many illegal aliens in Illinois, 30% of all Illinoisans? Of course we don't. It's nonsense. Even if some of the uninsured are aliens (and we can talk about the corporations that bring them into the country as cheap labor some other time), they are also human beings and human beings who get on the bus or train, shop in the supermarket and do other activities with you and your kids. Why would you want them walking around sick?
Even if some of the uninsured eventually get back on insurance at some point, with pre-existing exclusions that are part of all policies, those newly insured, but once uninsured, will be underinsured even if they get back on some kind of insurance. Their insurance company won't pay for anything for a least one year and will question every claim for years to come based on the period of time not covered.
Kirk's just spouting the company line on health care reform. He doesn't want any government spending unless it's for a war, a war he lied to get started. He relies on people's lack of knowledge on these statistics and the fact that an outfit like WLS News will report on his comments without pointing out that hard statistics show that they're nonsense.
In joining the insurance company chorus, Mark Kirk tells uninsured Illinoisans that they don't exist. What he really means is that they don't matter. Do the people who put Barack Obama in the Senate really want this guy taking his place?
3 comments:
So why the hell isn't Kirk doing his job & holding Health Care Town Halls? (OK, I do know the answer.)
We should demand that Kirk appear in public in the 10th district to discuss health care. He still works for us (unfortunately).
Not to worry MD. I am sure Kirk will have his health care townhall as soon as the insurance companies get the busses for the teabaggers to protest against insuring Americans. I wonder if Kirk will point out that they aren't from the district, or call them thugs and goons.
It is amazing how many people can be convinced by corporations to argue against their own interests and how they call that freedom.
I just called Kirk's Northbrook legislative office and told them that it is my belief that Kirk is ignorant of the facts and the make up of his district (and all of IL) in his statements. His ignorance and lack of concern for his constituents requires me to vote against him every chance I get. Finally, I requested that Kirk give up his own government paid health insurance (since he is so against government handouts) for 6 months. I left my name, phone, address, but I'm sure my call won't make a difference. Kirk is a blowhard who doesn't deserve to be on the public payroll.
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