by Nathan Taylor

Created on: March 13, 2008   Last Updated: May 21, 2008

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that one of the most talked about issues this year is the uninsured. Presidential candidates, state legislators and the United States Congress have been pontificating about their plans for a long-term solution. Unfortunately, many of us have been hearing about these problems for far too long with no answer in sight. New York is no exception when it comes to the impact the uninsured has on the local economy. With over 8 million people just in the New York City area alone, you can imagine the uninsured has a significant impact on the local economy.

The United States Census Bureau reported in 2006, that over 2.5 million New Yorkers were uninsured. That means that over 13% of New Yorkers do not have health insurance. A staggering statistic it is, but New York is a microcosm of the entire nation. Many look to New York to set the standard for the rest of the country when it comes to the needs of Americans. So to understand the impact of the uninsured we need look no further than the Empire State. The health-care needs of the uninsured has a wide reaching effect on many. As the research shows, doctors, clinics, hospitals and foundations take the brunt of the economic burden.

The Urban Institute, a non-partisan economic and social policy research center reported in 2006 that the uninsured in New York cost upwards of $2.8 billion dollars a year. It is no wonder that the health care crisis has become such a dominant issue on the national stage. There is one question that always comes up when discussing the effects of the uninsured-who pays for it? In the same report by the Urban Institute they state that "$1.8 billion a year is paid out by the hospitals, $412 million by doctors and the remainder is covered by health centers, Veterans Affairs facilities, and the Indian Service". As you can see it is a diverse group of individuals and organizations that foot the bill for those without insurance.

There is one question however that we can't get a clear answer to. How much of the costs absorbed by hospitals is passed on to those who have insurance? What fees for services are being raised on the insured to help pay for the burden hospitals are faced with when treating the uninsured? Answers to these questions and more lay only with hospital administrators who dictate the fee schedules for their respective facilities. What is very clear is that the uninsured directly impact the insured because hospitals are forced to cover millions of dollars worth

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