Is it bad news or could it really be good?

The latest number reaching talking-point status is $30 billion. That's the amount that Americans without health insurance supposedly pay annually for health care.

The implication is obvious: such an enormous number is a tragedy and another sign that our health system is broken and needs to be taken over by the government.

But, as InsureBlog points out, if there are 47 million uninsured Americans paying $30 billion for care, that is less than $630 a person. Per year.

That's a statistic that would almost entice people with a choice -- and a monthly premium -- to join the ranks of the uninsured.

Or, at the very least, it suggests the political effort to grant victim status to those who are "underinsured" is way off base.