Ranks of Uninsured Grow; Poverty Rate Soars

The number of uninsured Americans rose to 46.3 million last year, up from 45.7 million in 2007, as the poverty rate hit an 11-year high, the Census Bureau announced today. The poverty rate was 13.2% for 2008, up from 12.5% in 2007, the largest annual jump since 2004. The White House says the figures underscore the need for health care reform and the importance of the stimulus, reports the Wall Street Journal.