Last Year's Poverty Rate Was Highest in 12 Years

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/us/11poverty.html

According to the annual report released on Thursday, September 10, 2009 by the Census Bureau, poverty rate increased from12.5 percent in 2007 to 13.2 percent in 2008. Unfortunately, these numbers are expected to increase dramatically in 2009. The report stated that in 2008, 39.8 million residents lived below the defined poverty line of $22,025 for a family of four.

Also, once inflation is factored, the median family income was lower than it had been a decade earlier. What does this mean for the typical American? It means that we’ve lost a decade of income growth.

Of course with the poverty rates being at it’s all time high and growing, this also means that there are more people without health insurance. According to the article 46.3 million residents are uninsured. While more children received health insurance, in 2008, thanks to the federal government’s efforts to insure low-income children, there was an increase in the number of adults aged 18-64 who did not have health insurance.

President Obama referred to the census survey, in his speech on Thursday, in an effort to try to promote his health care reform.

I happen to be one of those lucky enough to have health insurance, but I do have relatives who cannot afford health care insurance. In my opinion, affordable health care should not be a privilege, but a right.

I think this article is important because whatever views we have about politics we need to take a good look at our health care system and find a solution that will benefit all Americans.

by: Geneva Nannapaneni
September 12, 2009