Dying for Coverage

[irishbobcat]

DYING FOR COVERAGE IN OHIO

April 14, 2008

The number of uninsured Americans reached 47 million in 2006, and it continues to rise. For many of the uninsured, the lack of health insurance has dire consequences. The uninsured face medical debt, often go without necessary care, and even die prematurely. In 2002, the Institute of Medicine released a groundbreaking report, Care without Coverage: Too Little, Too Late, which estimated that, nationwide, 18,000 adults between the ages of 25 and 64 died in 2000 because they did not have health insurance. Subsequently, The Urban Institute estimated that at least 22,000 adults in the same age group died in 2006 because they did not have health insurance.

To find out what this means for people across the nation, Families USA has generated the first-ever state-level estimates of the number of deaths due to lack of health insurance. The estimates are based on both the Institute of Medicine
and The Urban Institute methodologies applied to state-level data. In 2006, there were more than 6,054,000 people between the ages of 25 and 64 living in Ohio. Of those, 12.7 percent were uninsured.

Uninsured Ohioans are sicker and die sooner than their insured counterparts.

Families USA estimates that two working-age Ohioans die each day due to lack of health insurance (approximately 750 people in 2006).

Between 2000 and 2006, the estimated number of adults between the ages of 25
and 64 in Ohio who died because they did not have health insurance was more
than 5,100.

Across the United States, in 2006, twice as many people died from lack of health
insurance as died from homicide.

Uninsured adults are more likely to be diagnosed with a disease in an advanced stage. For example, uninsured women are substantially more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer than women with private insurance.

The uninsured are less likely to have a usual source of care outside of the
emergency room. Uninsured Americans are up to four times less likely to have a regular source of care than the insured.

The uninsured often go without screenings and preventive care.

Uninsured adults are more than 30 percent less likely than insured adults to
have had a checkup in the past year.

Uninsured adults are more likely to be diagnosed with a disease in an advanced
stage. For example, uninsured women are substantially more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer than women with private insurance.

The uninsured often delay or forgo needed medical care.

Uninsured Americans are up to three times more likely to report having problems
getting needed medical care.

Uninsured adults are more than three times as likely as insured adults to delay
seeking medical care (47 percent versus 15 percent).

Uninsured Americans are sicker and die earlier than those who have insurance.

Uninsured adults are 25 percent more likely to die prematurely than adults
with private health insurance.

Uninsured Americans between 55 and 64 years of age are at much greater risk
of premature death than their insured counterparts. This makes un-insurance
the third leading cause of death for the near-elderly, following heart disease and
cancer.

The uninsured pay more for medical care.

Uninsured patients are unable to negotiate the discounts on hospital and doctor
charges that insurance companies do. As a result, uninsured patients are often
charged more than 2.5 times what insured patients are charged for hospital
services.

Three out of five uninsured adults (60 percent) under the age of 65 reported
having problems with medical bills.

As the independent Green Party Candidate for State Representative for the 60th District that is why I support the Ohio-Span Health Care for All Ohioans Act.

It's time we send a representative to Columbus from the valley who has compassion for those in need instead of the needs of insurance and health care lobbyists and PACS like current state representative Bob Hagan. It's time we send a State Representative who holds a belief that change is possible.

My policy work in Columbus will focus on affordable health care for all Ohioans and the kitchen-table issues that define people's lives.

Sincerely,

Dennis Spisak

Campaign site: Http://votespisak.tripod.com

Visit our link health care and progressive jobs programs to learn more about the Health Care for All Ohioans Act.