Comment Re:Backwards (Score 4, Informative) 853
Well I've done the research and here's the deal:
The 50 million number comes a Census *mailin survey* which is completely unscientific and therefore invalid.
You've done the research? Care to provide a citation for your claims?
The 50 (sometimes 47) million number that is often quoted comes from SAHIE. A quick glance at the about page will show you that:
The SAHIE program models health insurance coverage by combining survey data with population estimates and administrative records. Our estimates are based on data from the following sources:
* The Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) of the Current Population Survey (CPS);
* Demographic population estimates;
* Aggregated federal tax returns;
* Participation records for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp program;
* County Business Patterns;
* Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) participation records; and
* Census 2000.
If you want to dig deaper then checkout the data inputs section.
BOTTOM LINE: it is not a "mailin" survey or anything of the sort. 47 million is the best, educated guess of the number of uninsured based on data from a wide variety of sources collected in 2005 and compiled by SAHIE; 50 million if you look at the 2006 data.
