Just the Facts

The Ten Strongest Facts

1. 6.8 million working adults have been denied health coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions in the last two years, and 8.2 million said at least one member of their family has been dropped by their insurer during that period.

2. The United States health care system is ranked 37th of 190 countries, below most of Europe, Chile, and Costa Rica. When ranked for level of performance the U.S. ranked number 72 in the world.

3. An October 2005 Harris poll showed that 75 percent of people in the U.S. are in favors of a universal health care plane.

4. The 2005 Health Affairs reports that half of all bankruptcies are caused by medical bills.

5. HMO plans will sometimes not cover pricey surgeries or rehab procedures so many Americans are going to Canada or other countries to receive treatment. In the" Complete Medical Tourist" it is estimated that American will make "medical tourism" a 40 billion dollars industry by 2010.

6. In 1997 37 million people were uninsured. In 2007 47 million people were uninsured. Between the years 1996 and 2005 an average employee's spending on health premiums for themselves and their family rose by 85 percent, while incomes did not rise.

7. More than 15 percent of the population, more than 47 million people have no form of health insurance, this does not even cover the under insured.

8. The United States spends twice as much per capita than the average of the other ten richest countries. While more that one in six people in the U.S. under age 65 have no insurance.

9. A person without insurance is less likely to have diseases diagnosed early, less likely to receive preventative care and has 25 percent greater chance of dying early.

10. Compare with Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and the U.K., the United States has the poorest health care. 51 percent of Americans skip care due to cost and 61 percent find after hours care outside the emergency room difficult to get.