Health Care And Geography

Where are the uninsured?

In 2005, the U.S. Census estimated the size of the uninsured population for every county in the nation. The result is mapped below as the percentage of each county’s population (under age 65, since the elderly are covered by Medicare) that has no health care coverage.

In the Southwest and Western U.S. the percentage of uninsured residents is also very high, partly due to large uninsured immigrant populations (both legal and illegal). Immigrants are about 2.5 times more likely to be uninsured than natives. An estimated one-third of Latinos are without health insurance, the highest rate for any ethnic group. Californians and Arizonans are, by now, very familiar with the health care and general fiscal impact of high levels of immigration — a reminder that health care reform and immigration reform are linked. Immigration is a challenge for policymakers who are trying to reduce the size of the uninsured population.

A large percentage are in States that vote Republican. Do those Republicans have any political incentive to work on this issue with President Obama? Maybe the President does not needs them, either.



Source: www.themonkeycage.org