If you have doubts that lack of health insurance can have deadly consequences, consider these new findings from the American Journal of Public Health: Americans without health insurance are 40% more likely to die than those with private insurance. The Harvard study reiterates a 1993 Institute of Medicine study, which found a 25% higher death risk among those without insurance compared with privately insured adults. Why does the uninsured face this greater risk? The Institute of Medicine identifies three factors that influence health outcomes: not getting care when needed, not having a regular source of care, and not getting continuity of coverage – all of these are difficult goals to accomplish for the uninsured. Approximately 45,000 Americans of working age die each year because they lack health insurance. [via Yahoo! News]
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Tags: Harvard, Health Care, Health Insurance, Public Health, public option, uninsured
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
September 21st, 2009 at 5:59 am
Well, if this is true, then why can’t the common American get Health Insurance? Is it too much? Are the Medical facilities taking too much advantage over an injured/ill American? What is wrong with society now-a-days? Come-on! Have a heart!!
September 21st, 2009 at 7:32 am
All these statistics prove is someone is advocating destroying a good system which protects 85% of the population in favor of the 15% who will not take care of themselves. Might outta take a look at socialized medicine’s track record before advocating any changes to ours.
September 21st, 2009 at 9:52 am
This is a moral issue as well as a political issue. Our purpose in this world is to be agents of the Lord. We are supposed to care about each other. So-called religious people who can say they do not support the movement to provide health care for all will be hard-pressed to look our Lord and Savior in the face when he arrives in the clouds. It boils down to greed and selfishness. I have great insurance and I still pay thousands per year for copays and deductibles. I would pray that everyone would at least have what I have. We have the same coverage Congress has. I will continue to pray for selfish greedy Americans with no love for others.
September 21st, 2009 at 11:38 am
Cheryl is absolutely right. Keep praying for those among us who advocate Darwin’s approach to the plight of our fellow human beings. If true, 45,000 is quite a body count to boldly suggest that a slight adjustment to the system will do just fine, “… as long as I do not lose the many blessings the good Lord has given me.”
By the way, the notion of more expansive tort reform to curb the deluge of “outrageous” medical malpractice lawsuits that supposedly drive up the cost of medical care is an absolute hoax, just like the “frivolous” McDonald’s coffee lawsuit myth that keeps oozing from misleading dialogue out there.
Remember that “greedy” old lady who won that “outrageous” hot coffee lawsuit? She was a passenger, not the driver, and she was handed coffee that caused third-degree burns in her groin area within only 2 seconds of contact. She was in the hospital for over one week to receive multiple skin grafts. The restaurant had been warned repeatedly to lower the s-e-r-v-i-n-g temperature, and had many opportunities to step up and do the right thing. They did not, and they paid for it. Please look up the facts yourself. Sorry, Toby K… You got it all wrong with that one, my friend!
While at it, please also look up and demand the actual facts behind the argument that the reason for excessive and costly defensive medicine is an out-of-control legal system overrun by greedy trial lawyers filing thousands of frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits against well-meaning medical providers who so reluctantly accept our payments for all of that unnecessary defensive medicine. Again, please look up the facts yourself. Do not fall for myths that are designed to mislead you and gain your blind support.
Look around and take careful note every now and then. The Great Deceiver is very busy in America! He undoubtedly thinks very highly of Darwin’s theories being applied to how we treat each other! Keep on praying!
September 21st, 2009 at 12:08 pm
While we debate and argue, people continue to die and the insurance industry is the only entity that wins. Let’s stop arguing and send a strong message to our congress that we do want to be “our brothers keeper” and pass this healthcare initiative with a public option. This stat is horrific; like we’re a third world country or something.
September 21st, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I know so many people that make around 24,000 a year and can not get insurance because almost everyone in America has a pre-existing condition. If you take a perscription – You have a pre-existing condition. How many of these people do you think could afford to pay for insurance if they did not have a pre-existing condition.? You figure they all have rent or a mortgage to pay, Utilities, a vehicle payment and maybe they can afford to eat it they are lucky. Entertainment. ? No way. Insurance of 400.Up a month ( the least expensive) No Way!. Do the rich in Washington not know that the average income in most states is 23,000 a year.? And what about inflation of our utilities, food, gas, everything and unemployement . Do they not know how many families are now living in their car? Do THey Care. NO!
September 21st, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Come on people., Speak Up. Obama is not going to kill Granny. He really cares about Granny. The R-s Dont care about your Grannny. Rich do not care about anthing but themselves. I do not trust anyone that can not remember what it was like to skrimp at least once in their lives.
September 22nd, 2009 at 1:01 am
i have a skin discoloration an getting worst.what should i do to stop it from getting worst.i;ve tried what a dermatolagist prescribe for me but it didn;t work,,,
can you please help……….
THANK YOU..
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:08 am
Down and out, I’m my brother’s keeper, the clueless can take care of them selves. Soap, water and toothpaste are still affordable to all. These items are the basic’s for good health, and these and many others are the basics of personal responsibilty. As far as the uninsured, for the most part, are thoes who have the means and chose not to buy coverage. Children should have a free pass period, dead beat parents just need to deal with the harsh reality of being a dead beat, and no government agency will ever have the tools to overcome this fact, no mater how much money we through at it.
September 22nd, 2009 at 9:49 am
Would health insurance keep those 45,000 people alive? How many die from drinking or smoking? I’ve read that almost 200,ooo die from improperly prescribed or administered prescription medications, and these people are already being treated by physicians.
The sure way to make any situation worse is to get the government involved. No thanks.
September 22nd, 2009 at 10:57 am
This is a ridiculous, uncontrolled population study that only tells you that the death rates among the poor, unemployed, unmarried and young risk takers is higher than the death rates of the employed, married, risk adverse population. Impure science. Foolish people to blindly accept such poor work. Same type of statistics that show that the education in poor, high unemployment, low tax school districts is inferior to education in affluent, high tax districts…What to guess again as to why?
September 22nd, 2009 at 9:12 pm
If we want good health care we must stop this fear-mongering! If you disagree with his plan! you disagree! but this name calling and insane accusations against our president is very disrespectful! The president is not trying to force people to change their doctors or insurance, but make insurance available to the uninsured! America the beautiful? Its pretty ugly right now! Our president didnt create the economic mess were in, but yet he is getting a lot of disrespect!for attempting to revitalize our country, and he is demonized because of it? We always refer to him as black! and he surely is, but he is just as much white as black! Not that it matters. But in America it matters! The rest of the world beholds our hipocracy! democracy should work for us,if not, why should it work for other countries? We must stop the politics of fear and make America great again!