Lack of insurance causes more than 44,000 U.S. deaths annually, study says
Going without health insurance can delay when people obtain primary and preventative care, potentially resulting in poorer health. Even more gravely, a lack of private health insurance brings an increased risk of death; uninsurance is to blame for some 44,789 adult deaths across the U.S. every year, according to a new study published online today in the American Journal of Public Health.There apparently is a death panel - its called the Republican Party.
The findings show that uninsured Americans—between the ages of 17 and 64—have a 40 percent higher risk of death than those who have private insurance. (Those enrolled in government insurance programs, such as Medicaid and Department of Veterans Affairs insurance, were excluded from the study.) About 46.3 million Americans didn't have health insurance as of 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the number is estimated to be higher now since the recession has forced many off of employer health plans.
Previous research by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) employing older data had put the risk of death due to uninsurance closer to 25 percent.
The authors analyzed information from surveys and health examinations of more than 9,000 people that was collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between 1986 and 2000 and checked against death records. Even after controlling for age, gender, race, income, education, employment, smoking, alcohol use, assessed health and BMI, the researchers found "lack of health insurance significantly increased the risk of mortality," they wrote in the paper.
"We doctors have many new ways to prevent deaths from hypertension, diabetes and heart disease—but only if patients can get into our offices and afford their medications," Andrew Wilper, of the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle, and lead study author, said in a prepared statement.
Indeed, the authors concluded that their findings show that, "alternative measures of access to medical care for the uninsured, such as community health centers, do not provide the protection of private health insurance."
Intermittent insurance also appeared to take a toll on health, the authors wrote, although the survey provided no information on the effects of losing or gaining insurance, as it only recorded reported insurance status at the time the survey was taken.
"The Institute of Medicine, using older studies, estimated that one American dies every 30 minutes from lack of health insurance," David Himmelstein, a study co-author and associate professor of medicine at Harvard, said in a prepared statement. "Even this grim figure is an underestimate—now one dies every 12 minutes."
The entire Affordable care Act ( health care reform) has not kicked in yet, but these are the benefits Americans are already using that Republicans want to repeal, 8 Immediate Cost Benefits of Health Care Reform
Under the new law, health care insurers will no longer be able to do the following:
Deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions: For children younger than age 19, health plans can no longer limit or deny coverage simply because the child has a pre-existing health condition. This provision does not mean that such coverage will be inexpensive, but at least coverage will be available.
Impose lifetime limits or caps on health coverage: Some insurance policies place lifetime spending caps on coverage. Once the limit is reached, there is no more health coverage available. Under the new law, health plans can no longer set a lifetime dollar limit on benefits, which can be particularly important for those with expensive medical conditions.
Cancel a policy without proving fraud: Currently, health plans can and will cancel coverage retroactively if you failed to accurately disclose required information on the insurance application. Under the new law, the insurance carrier must prove that the information was left off the application by reason of fraud before canceling the policy.
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Deny health claims without giving you a chance to appeal the decision: For new health plans, you can now have the right to ask the insurance company to reconsider any denial of coverage. And if they still deny the claim, you have the right to appeal the decision to an independent reviewer.
In addition to the above restrictions, new health insurance plans must provide the following:
Free preventative health services: New health plans are now required to offer access to preventive services such as screenings, vaccinations and counseling at no charge, including no copayment, co-insurance, or any deductible. Depending on your age, preventative services may include blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol tests; many cancer screenings; routine vaccinations; flu and pneumonia shots; and regular well-baby and well-child visits, from birth to age 21.
Young adults can stay on parent’s plan until age 26: Most health plans can remove children from coverage at age 19. Under the new rules, the age is extended to 25 if they don’t already have coverage through their job. The new rule applies even if the child does not live at home or is married.
Choose a primary care doctor and pediatrician: With new health plans, you can now choose the pediatrician or primary care doctor or you want from your health plan’s provider network. You can also see an OB-GYN doctor without getting a referral from your primary care physician.
Use the nearest emergency room without penalty: Under existing plans, you can often pay significantly more if you visit an emergency room that is not in your insurance company’s provider network. With new health plans, you won’t be required to get prior approval before seeking emergency room services from a facility that is outside of your plan’s network. In addition, you won’t have to pay higher copayments.
