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Wednesday, September 02, 2009

I think Dohnal would call these "the invincibles"

by folkbum

Among the most persistent myths about the uninsured in America is that there are millions who don't want to be insured--the young, the healthy, the foolhardy who think nothing bad is going to happen to them and who balk at the idea of an individual mandate in the bills currently being floated around Congress. This crisis of the uninsured is not real, the detractors say, because "the invincibles" don't want insurance anyway! Problem solved!

Or not: A new study by the AFL-CIO of young workers (under 35, so I qualify for a few more days) asked about health insurance, among other things: "31 percent of young workers report being uninsured, up from 24 percent 10 years ago, and 79 percent of the uninsured say they don’t have coverage because they can’t afford it or their employer does not offer it." This is not indicative of a large class of "invincibles" boldly and stupidly shrugging off health insurance as if it were some artifact of age, like grey hair or high-waisted pants. No, this is fully a quarter of all workers under 35 who want but can't get health insurance because they're priced out of the market.

And, you know, it doesn't help when members of Congress literally laugh at young workers like that and tell them just to grow up. Way to go, Republicans! Alienate another generation, why don't you.

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