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Health Insurance News Archive

Tue Sep 30, 2003

Census Bureau Reports Over 43 million Uninsured

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the number of Americans without health insurance increased to 43.6 million people in 2002. This increase of over 2 million individuals means that 15.2 percent of the population lacked health insurance for the year.

The increase of individuals without health insurance largely reflects both the raising number of unemployed individuals and the increasing trend of employers reducing health insurance benefits for their employees. The percentage of individuals covered by employment-based health insurance dropped to 61.3 percent in 2002. This number is down from 62.6 percent in 2001. Kate Sullivan, director of health care policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said "Clearly employers are struggling to hang on to their coverage."

Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, figures these data should drive politicians to look for new ways to help more people obtain health coverage. "The failure to do so may have significant repercussions in the 2004 elections," Pollack said.

Upon hearing the latest uninsured statistics, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said, "Congress must give us more tools to provide more care to more families," He refered to the administration's proposed plan of tax credits, tax-free Medical Savings Accounts program and more funding for state health insurance for children.

Source: Reuters

US Study Finds Black Tea May Lower Cholesterol

Scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture said that regular black tea consumption may lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol levels. The study, published in the October issue of the Journal of Nutrition found that test subjects who drank black tea for three weeks exhibited an average decrease of 7.5 percent in their LDLs.

The director of the study, Joseph Judd, said, "This may indicate that drinking tea regularly could have a beneficial effect if consumed regularly as part of a mixed diet for most people."

Judd admitted that his team is still unsure why LDL cholesterol levels dropped in those who consumed the tea. The USDA is now conducting tests to determine if black tea slows the body's ability to absorb LDL cholesterol.

Another beneficial health effect uncovered during the study was that the individuals' levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or the “good” cholesterol stayed the same. Previous studies suggest that high amounts of HDL cholesterol can reduce the risk of a heart attack.

Judd concluded that, "We aren't talking about drinking tea over a lifetime, which we really can't study, but we have a short study and indications are very positive."

Source: Reuters

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