{news} Fw: PNHP Press Release: 1.7 Million Veterans Without Health Insurance

Thu Oct 21 22:53:36 EDT 2004

October 19, 2004

Dear Members and Friends of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP),

Today PNHP held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington DC to release a study showing that 1.7 million veterans and 3.9 million veteran's family members lack health insurance.  One in every eight of the 45 million uninsured Americans are veterans or the spouse or child of a veteran.  The press release is attached, below.   The full study is posted on our web site at: 

http://www.pnhp.org/Veterans/veteranrep.doc

Activists are encouraged to forward the release to local media and other interested groups.  Please note that your local TV news can show footage of the press conference, which is available to stations nationwide via satellite, using the information at the end of the press release. 

Outreach to the media is an expensive but vital part of our mission.  You will receive a request for financial support enclosed with the most recent issue of the PNHP newsletter, in the mail now.  If you can afford to make a year-end donation, it would be a great help for the next phase of our work.  Thanks for your continued support, and your hands-on volunteer efforts.

 Yours truly, 

 Ida Hellander, MD 

Physicians for a National Health Program 

______________________________________________________

For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, October 19, 2004                                          

Contacts:  Nick Skala (312) 782-6006 

nick at pnhp.org

1.7 MILLION VETERANS LACKED HEALTH COVERAGE IN 2003

Harvard Study Finds Sharp Increase Since 2000

1.694 million American veterans were uninsured in 2003, according to a study by Harvard Medical School researchers released today. Of the 1.694 million uninsured, 681,808 were Vietnam-era veterans while 999,548 were veterans who served during "other eras" (including the Persian Gulf War).

The study was based on analyses of government surveys.  Veterans were only classified as uninsured if they neither had health insurance nor received ongoing care at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals or clinics.  Many of the 1.694 million uninsured veterans in 2003 were barred from VHA care because of a 2003 Bush Administration order that halted enrollment of most middle income veterans.  Others were unable to obtain VHA care due to waiting lists at some VHA facilities, unaffordable co-payments for VHA specialty care, or the lack of VHA facilities in their communities.   An additional 3.90 million members of veterans' households were also uninsured and ineligible for VHA care.  Other findings of the study include:

 ·        The number of uninsured veterans has increased by 235,159 since 2000, when 9.9% of non-elderly veterans were uninsured, a figure which rose to 11.9% in 2003.

 ·        More than one in three veterans under age 25 lacked health coverage, as did one in seven veterans age 25 to 44 and one in ten veterans age 45 to 65.

 ·        Many uninsured veterans had major health problems.  Less than one-quarter indicated that they were in excellent health; 15.6% had a disabling chronic illness.

 ·        Uninsured veterans had as much trouble getting medical care as other uninsured persons.  26.1% of uninsured veterans reported that they had failed to get needed care due to costs; 29.0% had delayed care due to costs; 42.1% had not seen a doctor within the past year; and two-thirds failed to receive preventive care

 ·        More than two-thirds of uninsured veterans were employed and 86.4% had worked within the past year; 7% of the uninsured vets worked at two or more jobs.

David U. Himmelstein, M.D., study author and Harvard Medical School Associate Professor, commented: "This administration professes great concern for veterans, but it's all talk and no action.  Since President Bush took office the number of uninsured vets has skyrocketed, and he's cut VA eligibility, barring hundreds of thousands of veterans from care.  Our president has put troops in harm's way overseas and abandons them and their families once they get home."

"Like other uninsured Americans, most uninsured vets are working people.  And uninsured veterans are denied the care they need - turned away because they can't pay," said Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a study author and co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program.  "We need a solution that works for veterans, and for all Americans - national health insurance."

###

            Physicians for a National Health Program is a national organization with more than 12,000 physicians members that advocates for national health insurance.  PNHP has spokespeople in every state and specialty.  For additional contacts, call PNHP at (312) 782-6006, pnhp at aol.com, www.pnhp.org. 

A video broadcast of the news conference is available by satellite for free and unrestricted use by news organizations.  Contact: ConnectLive Communications 202-513-1000 or Rosica Communications at 201-843-5600.

Live broadcast time:  Noon to 1:00 p.m. eastern.  A test signal is available from 11:45 a.m - noon EASTERN TIME.  Ku-band analog satellite: AMC9, Transponder: 3K Orbital Position, 85 West downlink frequency: 111760 MHz Vertical 

__________________________________________________

Ida Hellander, MD
Executive Director

"Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and most inhuman," Martin Luther King, Jr. (Medical Committee for Human Rights Convention, 1966).

Physicians for a National Health Program
29 E. Madison, Suite 602
Chicago, IL 60602
www.pnhp.org
pnhp at aol.com
phone (312) 782-6006
fax (312) 782-6007

PNHP sends infrequent e-mail communications to members and single payer advocates.  If you do not wish to receive these messages (we try to keep them very brief) please reply to this communication with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.  Thanks!
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