Health care: Five faces of the uninsured
— -- The nation's uninsured — a growing class of people whose recession-fed ranks have swelled to 46.3 million — are central to the health care debate in Washington and the questions about how and whether to get them covered are as vexing and emotional as they come.
Should those without health insurance be required to buy it, and should they get government subsidies to help with the cost? Where will they get the coverage — from private insurance companies or a new government program? How much should they have to pay? Can they be denied for smoking, for having a chronic disease, or for a past heart attack?
While the nation waits for Congress and the White House to come up with answers, those who live without insurance say they are waiting scared.
Patrick Bruce, 61, of Isle of Palms, S.C., says the fact that he's been uninsured since his 2002 heart attack and triple bypass is "always in the back of my mind."
He says he eats right, doesn't smoke and exercises — efforts he hopes will keep him healthy until he qualifies for Medicare in four years. "I hope this health kick that I'm on works," he says.
Others worry about missing cancer screenings that could save their lives or fear that one accident or serious illness will leave them with a lifetime of debt. Some wrestle with whether it makes more sense to save for retirement or pay for health insurance.
"We are the only democracy … the only wealthy nation that allows such hardship for millions of its people," PresidentObama told a joint session of Congress on Sept. 9, in an effort to jump-start his revamp of the health-care system.
Obama has conceded that his plan would not cover all of the uninsured. It also would not provide insurance to illegal immigrants.
Republicans such as House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio argue that the government can't afford to spend up to $1 trillion on health care changes. But Obama has pushed for a government-run "public option," saying such a program would help bring costs down for everyone by giving insurance companies some competition.
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