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Highlighted Research

Lack of health insurance and U.S. mortality

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PNHP co-founders Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., M.P.H., and David Himmelstein, M.D., have published a landmark review of studies in theĀ Annals of Internal MedicineĀ that points to a link between lack of health insurance and preventable deaths. Their review, ā€œThe Relationship of Health Insurance and Mortality: Is Lack of Insurance Deadly?ā€ was published June 26, 2017, as the U.S. Senate considered a major health overhaul.

Although estimates range, there is a strong scientific consensus that uninsurance leads to tens of thousands of deaths annually. If any of the various GOP health bills become law, millions of Americans would lose coverage and the number of preventable deaths would increase dramatically. The “Better Care Reconciliation Act,” for example, would result in 22 million people losing coverage and an additional 29,000 deaths per year.

PNHP press release:
https://pnhp.org/news…

full review of studies:
http://annals.org…

***

Sen. Sanders cites study findings on the floor of the Senate

In arguing against the “Better Care Reconciliation Act” on June 26, 2017, Sen. Sanders said, “The horrible and unspeakable truth is, that if this legislation were to pass, many thousands of our fellow Americans, every single year, will die, and many more will suffer and become much sicker than they should.” He submitted theĀ Annals of Internal MedicineĀ review, published earlier that day, to theĀ Congressional Record.

Media Coverage

Health insurance can make a life or death difference, study says

Shanika Gunaratna , CBS News , Published: June 26, 2017

In the midst of the complex, politically-charged health care debate unfolding in Washington, medical researchers say the science is clear: being uninsured increases one's risk of dying. That's the headline out of a new big-picture analysis of existing research that explores the relationship between insurance coverage and mortality. Read More

As lawmakers debate GOP healthcare bill, new study finds stripping people of insurance can be deadly

Melissa Healy , Los Angeles Times , Published: June 26, 2017

The number of Americans who die prematurely would rise by about 29,000 each year if the health reform plan put forth by Senate Republicans were to go into full effect, a new report suggests. Read More

When Cutting Access to Health Care, There’s a Price to Pay

Eduardo PorterĀ  , The New York Times , Published: June 27, 2017

It doesn’t require an advanced degree to figure out what limited access to a doctor can do to people’s health. A review of studies published this week in Annals of Internal Medicine reported that health insurance substantially raises people’s chances of survival Read More

The hard-to-answer question at the core of the health-care fight: How many more people might die?

Philip Bump , Washington Post , Published: June 27, 2017

There’s no real question that if the Affordable Care Act is repealed the number of Americans without insurance coverage will increase. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the percentage of those under age 65 who can’t afford or opt out of coverage would jump to 18 percent by 2026. Read More

28,600 Lives Per Year

James Hamblin , The Atlantic , Published: June 30, 2017Ā 

Like everything undertaken in pursuit of health, returns vary person to person and case to case. But when constructing a health-care system for an entire nation, there is reason to know the stakes at a broad level. And despite [a variety of] factors, health insurance time and again proves to be a life-saving proposition. Read More

Stripping Americans of health insurance could be deadly: study

Ronnie Cohen , Reuters , Published: June 26, 2017

Health insurance saves lives – that’s the conclusion of a report released on Monday, just in time to weigh into the debate among Senate Republicans considering a bill that could strip millions of Americans of coverage. Read More

Health Care Cuts Will Increase Odds Of Dying For The Uninsured, Medical Review Predicts

Dan Vergano , BuzzFeed News , Published: June 26, 2017

About 28,600 more people could die every year in the US if a proposed Senate health care bill becomes law, suggests a review of medical studies released on Monday. ā€œBeing uninsured can be lethal,ā€ review author Steffie Woolhandler of City University of New York told BuzzFeed News. Read More

Does Health Insurance Save Lives?

F. Perry Wilson, M.D. , MedPage Today , Published: June 26, 2017

You may have noticed that there's a bit of a debate going on about health insurance in this country. Reflecting the great diversity of American political life, we have those calling for a universal, single-payer healthcare system and those who feel, well, that the government should take a more limited role. Read More

Lack of insurance is tied to higher death rates, new study shows

Maria Castellucci , Modern Healthcare , Published: June 26, 2017

As the Senate debates and amends its Obamacare replacement bill projected to leave 22 million without insurance, a new report found that those with insurance live longer than the uninsured. The report, published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, highlights the influence insurance can have on mortality. Read More

Lack of Health Insurance Can Shorten Lives: Study

Alan Mozes , HealthDay , Published: June 29, 2017

In the midst of another struggle over U.S. health care coverage, a new study finds that Americans who don't have health insurance face a significantly higher risk for premature death. Read More

No Health Insurance? Higher Risk for Death, Review Shows

Troy Brown, R.N. , MedScape, Login Required , Published: June 27, 2017

Health insurance saves lives, boosts self-rated health and financial protection, and lowers the likelihood of depression, a new evidence review has found. The risk for death among the insured, compared with the uninsured, is 0.71 to 0.97, the researchers say. Read More

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