45.8 million now uninsured; growing ranks spur call for action

Last year marked the fourth consecutive year that uninsured numbers rose. Medicaid rolls continued to grow, too.

By Joel B. Finkelstein, AMNews correspondent. Sept. 19, 2005.

Washington -- Recent findings from the Current Population Survey that the ranks of the uninsured continue to grow rapidly have renewed concerns about rising health care costs and congressional priorities.

The number of uninsured grew to more than 45.8 million in 2004, compared with slightly fewer than 45 million in 2003, according to the report the U.S. Census Bureau released Aug. 30.

Census officials were careful to point out that population growth means the increase did not represent a significant change in the percentage of uninsured Americans. That stood at 15.7% in 2004, compared with 15.6% in 2003.

But experts voiced concern that the total number of uninsured people continues to rise year after year. In 2000, the last year that the number declined, there were 39.8 million without insurance, or 14.2% of the population. Since then, the ranks of uninsured have jumped on average by more than 1 million a year.

"While the increased number is statistically small, an additional 860,000 Americans live without the safety net of health insurance," American Medical Association President J. Edward Hill, MD, said in response to the latest figures.

"Without insurance, many Americans don't seek medical care until their health problem reaches crisis proportions," Dr. Hill noted. "By forgoing regular doctor visits and diagnostic tests that could catch serious illnesses early, many uninsured patients are diagnosed too late to affect the outcome."