Census: 46 Million Uninsured; Nearly Twice as Many Are in Public Plans

It's official: More than 46 million people do not have health insurance. The exact number is 46.3 million, an increase of 600,000 from 2007 to 2008, according to new statistics released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The overall number of people with insurance rose by 1.7 million to 255.1 million last year. Those with private insurance coverage declined by 1 million -- a number that closely corresponds to the decline in employment-based insurance.

The new numbers reflect some impact from the economic collapse but not the brunt of it. Mass layoffs were at their peak in the first half of 2009. So we'll have to wait a while to learn how many laid-off workers lost their health insurance along with their jobs during the most difficult period.

Enrollment in government health insurance programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, military and veterans care rose by 4.4 million, no surprise in a time of recession, war and an aging population. A total of 87.4 million people, or 34 percent of those insured, were in government plans last year -- taking advantage of their public options.