Enough To Make You Sick

By Gregory Mott

This article originally appeared in The Washington Post, December 7, 1999

Americans who lack insurance coverage are sicker and more likely to die prematurely, according to a new report.

"No Health Insurance? It's Enough to Make You Sick," produced by the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, analyzed data from hundreds of studies of the uninsured done during the past decade. It argues that the uninsured add avoidable expense to the health care system because they are less likely to receive preventive care and more likely to be treated only when very ill.

Other Findings:

Uninsured pregnant women have a 31 percent higher likelihood of adverse hospital outcome than insured pregnant women.

Uninsured children are up to six times more likely than insured children to have gone without needed medical, dental or other health care.

Compared with those with insurance, uninsured Americans are 2.8 times more likely to be hospitalized with diabetes; 2.4 times more likely to be hospitalized for hypertension.

Uninsured Americans are 3.2 times more likely to die in a hospital.

SOURCE: American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine

© Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company