Let's talk about that uninsured number

[phattonez]

Historically, census figures are significantly higher than the "uninsured" count in other government surveys, such as the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).3 The inaccuracy of the census count of the uninsured may be due, in part, to its undercount of Medicaid enrollments. In 2003, 53 million persons were enrolled in Medicaid but the census reported only 35.6 million enrollees. Medicaid enrollments have expanded dramatically in recent years but the census figures have failed to reflect this increase.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Re...-and-Economic-Inequality-in-the-United-States

In 2003 I see a difference of roughly 20,000 thousand. That looks like 20,000,000 to me, unless my math is wrong.

 

[Deuce]

Ok? Have people been using Census Medicaid stats for things?

 

[phattonez]

They have when they get their number about 45,000,000 people uninsured or whatever they're using these days.

 

[Deuce]

They have when they get their number about 45,000,000 people uninsured or whatever they're using these days.

Poked around some of the stats and yeah, they do often cite the Census. You'd think people whose sole job it was to count things would be better at it!