Though a new report from the Census Bureau says that 50.7 million Americans went without health insurance last year (“Census: 1 in 7 Americans lives in poverty,” Sept. 16), this statistic doesn’t provide a complete picture of the nation’s uninsured.

A 2009 study showed that nearly half of uninsured Americans aged 18 to 64 could likely afford to purchase health insurance. While the labor market has since changed, the conclusion is the same: Millions are presently uninsured by choice.

Instead of passing a costly health care law that requires almost everyone to purchase insurance, Congress should have focused specifically on Americans who wanted coverage but couldn’t afford it.