Number of Middle Class Uninsured Skyrocketing

The number of middle class Americans without health insurance is increasing rapidly, a new report by The Commonwealth Fund concludes.

According to the study, more than 40% of US citizens who make between $20K and $40K per year went at least part of 2005 without health insurance. This percentage is up dramatically from 28% in 2001.

Some other notable conclusions in the report:

• Over 32 million Americans without health insurance are in families where at least one member is employed full-time (that's 67% of the total number of uninsured)
  

• 20% of working adults are currently paying off medical debt (most of them more than $2000)

• 60% of uninsured adults with chronic illnesses skip medication doses to save money

• Uninsured patients are significantly less likely to engage in proactive measures such as screenings than insured patients

None of this is very surprising. And I don't know what's worse, the information itself or the fact that it's not surprising.

Why isn't letting fellow Americans go without necessary health care considered unpatriotic?