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Americans earning more but fewer have health insurance

Americans are earning more money, but the number of people without health insurance is also up, according to a new report by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Real median household income in the United States climbed between 2005 and 2006, reaching $48,200. it’s the second consecutive year that income has risen. The number of people without health insurance coverage rose from 44.8 million, or15.3 percent, in 2005 to 47 million - 15.8 percent - in 2006.

Meanwhile, the nation’s official poverty rate declined for the first time this decade, from 12.6 percent in 2005 to 12.3 percent in 2006. There were 36.5 million people in poverty in 2006, not statistically different from 2005.

These findings are contained in the Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2006 report. The data were compiled from information collected in the 2007 Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).

The data concerning health insurance is certain to fuel the renewed debate over the nation’s health care system, which is taking center stage as the 2008 presidential election cycle heats up. According to the Census Bureau report, the number of uninsured children increased from 8 million - 10.9 percent - in 2005 to 8.7 million - 11.7 percent - in 2006.

The number of uninsured, as well as the rate without health insurance, remained statistically unchanged in 2006 for non-Hispanic whites (at 21.2 million or 10.8 percent).

For blacks, the number and percentage increased, from 7 million in 2005 to 7.6 million and from 19 percent in 2005 to 20.5 percent.

The number of uninsured Asians remained statistically unchanged, at 2 million in 2006, while their uninsured rate declined to 15.5 percent in 2006, from 17.2 percent in 2005.

The number and percentage of uninsured Hispanics increased from 14 million (32.3 percent) in 2005 to 15.3 million (34.1 percent). Based on a three-year average (2004-2006), 31.4 percent of people who reported American Indian and Alaska Native as their race were without coverage. The three-year average for Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders was 21.7 percent.

Referred from: (http://www.consumeraffairs.com)