As the White House and Congress continue debating how best to provide coverage to tens of millions of Americans currently without health insurance, a new study (PDF) is meant to offer a stark reminder of why lawmakers should continue to try. Researchers from Harvard Medical School say the lack of coverage can be tied to about 45,000 deaths a year in the United States — a toll that is greater than the number of people who die each year from kidney disease.
“If you extend coverage, you can save lives,” said Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a professor of medicine at Harvard who is one of the study’s authors. The research is being published in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health and was posted online Thursday.
The Harvard study found that people without health insurance had a 40 percent higher risk of death than those with private health insurance — as a result of being unable to obtain necessary medical care. The risk appears to have increased since 1993, when a similar study found the risk of death was 25 percent greater for the uninsured.
The increase in risk, according to the study, is likely to be a result of at least two factors. One is the greater difficulty the uninsured have today in finding care, as public hospitals have closed or cut back on services. The other is improvements in medical care for insured people with treatable chronic conditions like high blood pressure.
“As health care for the insured gets better, the gap between the insured and uninsured widens,” Dr. Woolhandler said.
Nice that if you can afford it we have the best healthcare available in the world, but if you can't afford it.....well then you are shit out of luck.
And don't forget that Mitt Romney has promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act as his first order of business if he is elected president.
We are dying to have access to good health care in this country. Literally, and by the thousands.
And just to keep this in perspective, this annual number is seven times greater than the number we have lost in BOTH the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
It is a tragedy, and it is preventable. One of our candidates is doing all he can to solve this problem, and the other simply does not care.
Study finds that Chuck Norris will move over and make way for Todd Palin.
ReplyDeleteWhy? There isn't enough room in the bed for both of them?
DeleteWell, it's their fault if they don't recognize God's opportunities, like the Palin's do, who are unjustly hated for always plowing open those doors like the Exceptional Patriot Winners they are.
ReplyDeleteSnark aside, why was it so important for Sarah Palin to insist to the McCain camp that she and Todd lived without health insurance at one point in their marriage? Todd admitted to handlers that they always had catastrophic coverage and that ruined Sarah's woe-is-me we were poor and struggling once also too like you Joe-Six-Pack.
What did she gain from attempting that lie? And wouldn't that just make her promote health care reform?
That family are hateful idiots, a microcosm of what is wrong with Amercians.
It may be higher than that. If each of us think, we may be able to think of someone who died from lack of affordable healthcare. I know of one, the father of a girl I work with. He had bad heart disease and died. She tried CPR but could not save him. No healthcare, no meds, no doctor, nothing. dead at 45 from a massive heart attack.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a sick country in more ways than one. The funny thing is that so many "Christians" such as Sarah Palin don't want people to have insurance, as long as they have theirs, the rest of the people can die as far as she and others are concerned. This has been my observation of many Christians,, people I once went to church with besides the politicians that call themselves Christians. Very, very much the antithesis of Christ's teachings. They seem to all love Rand too, whose philosophy is also the opposite of helping anyone. How did these people come to that conclusion? So hoodwinked by the right? I left church, I cannot go back. I have seem more hypocrisy than I care to recount, yes there are some good people there. But I am disgusted mostly with what I've seen. The whole health care issue is what turned me away from them all. Their total lack of caring about anyone but themselves, pushed me over the edge. All they care about is judging others and poking into your business. A whole lot of crazy going on. I'm sure Jesus is none too pleased with this flock of hypocrites. BTW, if there was one group of people who really ticked Christ off, it was the very wealthy who would not help the sick, needy and poor. Put that in your pipe an smoke it you selfish greedy bastards. The Koch brothers and Mitttens and the like are going to have hell to pay on the other side along with a lot of fake Christians. I will get off the soap box now. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat you describe is what happens when a group of like-minded, hate-filled folks get together and treat church like a social club.
DeleteSure, they stand up and sing from the hymnal and read from the good book -- going through all the motions, but if they truly had to act like Christians, you know, caring for others who aren't in their little clique, showing compassion, not judging, their hateful little heads would explode.
I almost wish there were a way to see their faces when they get to the pearly gates, get called out on their misdeeds and end up turned ... well, let's just say 'turned way, way down.'
Liars and those who love being lied to:
DeletePseudo-"Christian Historian" Selling Moose Nuggets as Revised History to Glenn Beck crowd.
Worst. History Book. Ever.
David Barton’s “The Jefferson Lies,” which makes the, shall we say, far-fetched claim that Thomas Jefferson believed that there should be no separation between church and state, has been voted “the least credible history book in print,” by readers of the History News Network.
http://hnn.us/articles/what-least-credible-history-book-print
I once had a very intelligent person tell what was the root cause of the selfishness and lack of concern for others in Christianity that we are seeing today. It sounded too simple, so I studied it and now I have to agree.
DeleteWhy do they not care? Because they are forgiven. All these idiots actually believe that they can do anything they wish as long as they say "I'm sorry!" and "accept" Jesus. IT'S TOO EASY!!!!!!!!!
Of course, what they seem to deliberately forget is that yes, they can be forgiven their sins, but the line actually says "go AND SIN NO MORE"!!!!!!!! That intimates that they can be forgiven for a sin - ONCE.
A vote for Romney is a vote for the death of your fellow Americans.
ReplyDeleteSarah has insurance, but she does not look healthy any more.
ReplyDeleteWhere's TRI-G?
ReplyDeletePalins love death, killing and murder.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to Miller?
What happened to Menard?
What happened to Ruffles?
What happened to DWTS baby?
What happened to Charlie the dog?
Rest in peace to all.
One of them was my Mother
ReplyDeleteThis why anybody
Who vote against healthcare for will not get my vote
And don't forget that Mitt Romney has promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act as his first order of business if he is elected president.
Mitt Romney will never get my vote.
Repeal Obamacare = DEATH
ReplyDeleteThere's your "death panel" for ya Sarah, you closet Nazi.
ReplyDeleteCloset?
DeleteShe screams Heil Hitler.
Off topic Gryphen but you'll love this:
ReplyDeletehttps://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/200665_515088615173132_1622187375_n.jpg
Awwww, too cute!
DeleteUh oh, Mr. President, you're taking it a little wide there in turn 3. Watch out, she's in position to cut you off on the inside. When she gets you, you're going to have to help rock her baby doll to sleep... hey, baby dolls are people, too, my friend.
DeleteThat's great. The Prez--- he gets it. I mean, he's like a regular guy doing the same stuff we do when someone comes by the office with a toddler. While they're there, for a few minutes at least, it's all about the child, because that's the way it should be. Thanks for sharing the pic.
Good article, G. Here are a couple more healthcare-related links:
ReplyDeleteThe first article highlights 2 of the major changes which went into effect last week with the new ACA Laws.
The second article is about Breast Cancer screenings including limitations of mammograms related to breast density notification.
Also, links are included for more information on breast density advocacy for testing as well as requirements by individual states (which vary greatly!) for notification patients of their risk associated with breast density.
------------------------------------------------------
8-1-12 Employers Move to Adapt to Health Law
"The law requires employers to distribute millions of dollars in insurance-company refunds to workers whose plans spent a high percentage of their premium dollars on administrative expenses instead of medical care.
Employers also will have to begin including contraception and other women's services in workers' insurance plans without charging employees co-payments or other fees."
…
http://tinyurl.com/ACA-New-Health-Laws-Aug-1-2012
===========================================
8-6-12 The Latest Mammogram Controversy: Density
Many Women Aren't Told Their Breast Type May Cloud Cancer Screening; More States Consider Notification
http://tinyurl.com/Cancer-Screening-BreastDensity
===========================================
New Advice on Mammogram Timing (7-6-12)
"The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists updated its recommendations last week, saying that women at average risk for breast cancer should be offered a mammogram every year, starting at age 40. The group previously advised women to get the test every one to two years in their 40s and then annually starting at age 50."
---------------------------------------------------
Breast Density: "It just might be the greatest cancer risk you’ve never heard of."
http://tinyurl.com/Breast-Density-Fact-Sheet
http://areyoudenseadvocacy.org/dense/
100% if we did not have the awesome health care i got thru my work (paid for portions of it too) my husband would be dead today from genetic colon cancer... now thanks to obamacare, he will continue to get medical treatment and he and my daughter don't have to worry about being discriminated against because of something that is completely out of their control (genetic cancer)
ReplyDeleteOT, from the Wasilla Hillbilly:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/10/sarah-palin-obama-nauseating_n_1763830.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
ReplyDelete"Palin accused the media of failing to fully investigate whether there was any coordination between the Obama campaign and the super PAC, accusing members of the press of 'prostituting themselves' in their response to the ad.
'They’re basically prostituting themselves for a job, for interviews, for access to the Obama administration and the campaign, and they’re letting this go on, and it is illegal,' she said."
Yeah, Sarah, you could teach us a thing or two about Prostituting.
Romney must pick a VP candidate whose personalty is smaller than his, lest he be ¨overshadowed.¨
ReplyDeleteThink about that for a moment.
Stop laughing, Now gnaw on this: Romney can´t win without voters like me.
President Obama is a lock.
Yawn! Same psychotic rants, different day! She reminds of mentally ill people yelling on the street corner.
ReplyDeleteWells Fargo Allegedly Fires Father Of Dying Daughter To Take Away Her Health Insurance (VIDEO)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/08/09/wells-fargo-insurance/
"Harvard Medical School say the lack of coverage can be tied to about 45,000 deaths a year in the United States "
ReplyDeleteWhoa there, Gryphen, not so fast, Mister Fancy Pants Librul Alaska blogger. First, the matter of the credentials of this so-called "Harvard Medical School" you quote here. How do you know this isnt some partisan sham outfit pretending to be affiliated with that medical school in the Boston area whose name escapes me at the moment?
More importantly, you act like all this death is a bad thing. What's up with that? How about we wait until the International Consortium of Evangelical and Evangelical-Like Religious Authoritarians (ICEELRA) finishes their independent analysis? I'm just guessing, but I bet a MINUMUM of half of those dead people were egregious sinners who deserved to die and a MINIMUM of half were saved souls that Jeebus called home to work on a secret construction project in Heaven no one is supposed to know about. (Hint: it's almost certainly a long-prayed-for high-rise condo project with an attached casino and a Super Walmart. Sweet, huh?)
Yeah, so after you account for those deaths then I'll concede that maybe the rest of the dead might have just been caught in the switches of our super duper health care lottery system that rewards the lucky ones who have insurance (wooo!! hooo!!) and kills off the few unlucky ones who didnt have insurance (d'oh!). Even a conservative accounting (the best kind) suggests that the unlucky ones constitute no more than 45,000-50,000 of the total, tops!
Hmmmmm.... Ok, I see there's a problem with my math here. Can I get back to you on this?
And that is why I have endorsed Williard Millardo Mittens "Mitt" Rmoney for president in 2012.
Interesting article regarding Obama and the racism he's had to deal with. Worth reading.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/black-like-him-0912
And there are 120,000 accidental deaths in the United States caused by physicians every year!
ReplyDeleteLet us stop ranting about the American government. Why don't we just find some other ways to get non-government healthcare assistance. We can deliberately find a handful online if we just research.
ReplyDeleteInstead of ranting online, why don't we just find ways on how we can avail of non-government healthcare insurance policies? There are a handful of them online. We can also research more about Obamacare to see its pros and cons before reacting. Healthcare topic is not something to make fun of.
ReplyDelete