For Immediate Release
New Census Data Show Record Number of Americans Lack Access to Health Care, Underscore Need to Fully Implement Health Reform
Statement from Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E)
Executive Director, American Public Health
Association
Washington, D.C., September 16, 2010 – “According to an annual report on the uninsured
released today by the U.S. Census Bureau, more Americans are burdened by a broken
health care system and beleaguered economy than ever before. The report reveals
50.7 million Americans do not have health insurance, which is a sharp increase
from 46.3 million uninsured estimated in 2008. “This is exactly why full
implementation of health reform is so urgently needed. Having access to
quality, affordable health care should be a basic right not a privilege for all
Americans, yet the bleak data paint a different picture. Our health care system
has been failing the American public for too long. Unfortunately, given the
economic downturn and anemic job market, even more Americans could face the
desperate plight of losing their insurance down the road.
“The record number of
uninsured Americans underscores the need to fully implement every single
lifesaving provision included in the new health reform law. The law will
provide millions of Americans access to quality, affordable coverage they desperately
need, decrease incidence and mortality rates of the nation’s leading chronic
diseases, and control the nation’s soaring health spending.”
The report’s data reflect
nationwide estimates from 2009, before health reform was enacted into law in
March 2010.
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Founded in 1872, the APHA is the oldest, largest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world. The association aims to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and strives to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States. APHA represents a broad array of health providers, educators, environmentalists, policy-makers and health officials at all levels working both within and outside governmental organizations and educational institutions. More information is available at www.apha.org.
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