The Low Down on Pre-Existing Conditions Cato Institute - Cato Institute The 2006 Census Bureau estimate of 47 million uninsured Americans is often cited as a reason that healthcare reform is necessary. But who makes up this 47 million? Is it fair to lump all uninsured individuals into one statistic?Building on her recent Employment Policies Institute paper, "Who are the Uninsured?," former CBO director June O'Neill discusses the characteristics of the uninsured population and what being uninsured means for individuals' health status. Cato scholar Michael Tanner comments on O'Neill's findings.Featuring June E. O'Neill, Former CBO Director and Wollman Distinguished Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for the Study of Business and Government, Baruch College, City University of New York; and Michael Tanner, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute.