Policy Express No. 8-2, Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute, June 27, 2008

We’ve all heard the statistic “47 million Americans do not have health insurance” as an underlying argument for massive health care reform. But did you know that 57 percent of the 47 million uninsured have annual incomes above $50,000? Or that two-thirds of the 47 million are between the ages of 18 and 34? Are younger Americans being sold another Social Security scheme?

Health care reform has emerged as a top issue in the states and in the 2008 presidential election. The public debate about health care reform is often complex and confusing, riddled with misinformation, myths, and ideological agendas. It is important to note that the health care reform debate is not about access to medical treatment when one needs it, since access is already guaranteed to all by federal law. Rather, the debate centers around who will pay the costs of medical care and by what arrangement. While most Americans agree that everyone should have access to affordable health insurance coverage, they disagree strongly on how to make that happen.

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