[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 64 (Monday, May 10, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5074-S5075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        COVER THE UNINSURED WEEK

 Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Cover 
the Uninsured Week. I take this opportunity to highlight the crisis of 
the uninsured in the United States and to underscore the significant 
impact that this crisis has on our population.

[[Page S5075]]

  The number of Americans without health insurance is equal to the 
combined populations of 24 States and the District of Columbia. As of a 
September 2003 National Bureau of Census report, the most recent set of 
comprehensive figures on this problem, nearly 44 million people had 
gone without health insurance for the span of an entire year or longer. 
Millions more had been uninsured for part of a year.
  The estimated 43.6 million people who are currently uninsured face 
constant financial vulnerability. At any moment they could face 
financial devastation by the costs associated with an unexpected injury 
or disease. In Maryland alone, there were 595,500 uninsured in 2003--
approximately 13 percent of Maryland's population. According to the 
Baltimore Sun, 700,000 people younger than 65 have no insurance.
  Lack of insurance takes a huge financial toll on families. On 
average, the uninsured are forced to pay 35 percent of the overall 
costs of their medical coverage. As a result, medical bills are the 
leading cause of bankruptcy and are cited as a reason for half of all 
personal bankruptcy filings.
  In my own State of Maryland, we hear the worries of people with 
preexisting conditions who cannot change their job because they fear 
they will never again be eligible for affordable health insurance. I 
hear about recent college graduates who are no longer eligible for 
coverage under their parent's insurance policy and are going without, 
hoping nothing happens to them until they find a job that has health 
benefits.
  I hear the stories of those who have had to forego care because they 
are uninsured; mothers, fathers, children who have fatal disease, 
forced to face fatal consequences because they cannot effectively 
access the health care system. Statistics show that up to 18,000 people 
die each year because we ignore the plight of the uninsured. That is 
the equivalent of 49 people a day.
  Who are the uninsured? Often we are led to believe that if people are 
working they will have health coverage for themselves and their 
families. This is not the case. Eighty percent are in families in which 
at least one person is working. Many employers and workers are finding 
it difficult to afford health insurance due to the continual increases 
in health care costs. Service and labor jobs, which make up a 
significant portion of our workforce, are less likely to offer 
insurance. Moreover, part-time workers are often ineligible for 
employer-sponsored insurance and low-wage workers often cannot afford 
to pay their premiums.
  This phenomenon has a very negative impact on the lives of children. 
Mr. President, 8.5 million of our children are uninsured, which is more 
than the number of children in first and second grade in all of our 
public schools combined. A Florida Healthy Kids Corporation study 
showed that uninsured kids are 25 percent more likely to miss school 
than insured children. Such a percentage represents a significant 
disadvantage for children, especially for those who likely face other 
obstacles as well.
  Often those with insurance take these benefits for granted. We tend 
to ignore that which does not directly affect us. But those who are 
ignoring this problem for that reason should think again. There are 
consequences to all of us for ignoring the plight of the uninsured. 
According to a recent Institute of Medicine report, the United States 
loses $65-$130 billion each year as a result of the poor health and 
early deaths of uninsured adults. These numbers are called lost 
``health capital,'' also known as individual work losses and 
development losses in children due to poor health. A community's high 
rate of uninsurance can adversely affect its overall health status, 
including the financial stability of its health care institutions and 
providers. Moreover, such communities face decreased access to services 
such as emergency departments and trauma centers.
  I hope the Senate in the near future can begin to engage in 
discussions about meaningful ways to provide quality, comprehensive, 
affordable health care for all of our citizens. I would like to comment 
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and their cosponsors for creating 
Cover the Uninsured Week. I urge my colleagues to use this week as an 
opportunity to redouble our efforts to work toward a collective and 
comprehensive solution to address this critical problem.

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