Cover The Uninsured or Occupy Iraq,
They Cost the Same per Year
For Immediate Release - June 9, 2003

Washington, DC - Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) released the following statement today: "In a piece of sobering news, our country's priorities have been made clear. For the same amount we will spend occupying and rebuilding Iraq this year and in coming years, we could instead provide health insurance to every one of the 41 million people in America who are uninsured. This is a fact-these two choices cost the same amount. According to an Urban Institute study that just came out this week, the direct cost of providing health care to all of the uninsured in America would be between $34 billion and $69 billion a year, depending on how we do did it. At the same time, official estimates of the annual cost of the administration's occupation of Iraq are between $35 billion and $69 billion.

"The President says we can afford to occupy Iraq. We can afford to pass a $350 billion tax cut, on top of the $1.3 trillion tax cut passed in 2001," McDermott continued. "We should now ask the obvious question: why can't we afford to provide health insurance to all Americans? We are now obligated to rebuild Iraq. We should be just as obligated to rebuild the American health care system. If we can do one, we certainly ought to be able to do the other, but we lack the leadership to do so. This is a sad statement on our national priorities."

The study "Covering the uninsured: how much would it cost?" published by the journal Health Affairs, found the additional direct costs of providing medical care to the uninsured would be $34 billion, if provided through public programs, or $69 billion, if provided through private programs.

Estimates of the annual cost of occupying Iraq, including reconstruction and humanitarian aid, are similar to these costs. The Congressional Research Service reports a low-end estimate of $35 billion, based on a ten-month occupation force of 100,000 troops, and a high-end estimate of $69 billion, based on a ten-month occupation of 200,000 troops. There are currently 160,000 troops stationed in Iraq, and tens of thousand more providing support from Kuwait.

The Kaiser Family Foundation polled and found Americans are more concerned about whether they can afford health insurance than they are about losing their job, paying their rent or mortgage, losing money in the stock market, or being a victim of a terrorist attack. "It is so clear we can afford health insurance for all Americans, and yet we spend our money elsewhere. Why? Does this administration want to keep the American people insecure about their health care?" asked McDermott.