CBO report: Without reform, 54 million uninsured by 2019

A report released yesterday by the Congressional Budget Office found that 9 million more Americans will be uninsured by 2019 if federal policy is not changed (Source: “Number of Americans without health insurance expected to grow by 9 million in next decade,” Cleveland Plain-Dealer/AP, Feb. 10, 2009).

The CBO report (pdf) concludes that premium increases will continue to outpace income increases because of increased cost for medical innovation and because of wastful and unnecessary care.  The net result, according to the report, is that there will be 54 million uninsured Americans a decade from now unless federal health policy is changed.

"A substantial share of spending on health care contributes little if anything to the overall health of the nation," CBO Director Douglas W. Elmendorf told the Senate Budget Committee.