September 22, 2009 - Posted by Adam Lange
Results of a recent Harvard study show that approximately 45,000 people die in the U.S. each year primarily because they lack health insurance. That's one death every 12 minutes.
Researchers also concluded that American adults below the age of 65 face a 40 percent higher risk of death if they lack coverage. These findings, along with the latest U.S. Census Bureau report that 46.3 million people lacked health insurance coverage in 2008, emphasize the urgency of Congress's current efforts to pass legislation that will expand access to health care.
Dr. David Himmelstein, a co-author of the study and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard, pointed out that daily more Americans are dying "because of inaction ... than drunk driving and homicide combined." Other authors emphasized that lacking insurance increases the likelihood of dying from complications from preventable diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Categories: Health Care
